Jaipur/New Delhi: A major controversy has shaken Rajasthan’s bureaucracy after senior IAS officer Bharti Dixit, currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Finance Department, filed a police complaint against her husband, Ashish Modi, also an IAS officer and the Director of Social Justice and Empowerment.
In her FIR lodged on November 7 at the SMS Police Station (Jaipur), Dixit accused her husband of physical assault, illegal confinement at gunpoint, threats, extramarital affairs, and mental harassment. The case has sent shockwaves through the state’s administrative circles, as both officers belong to the prestigious Indian Administrative Service.
The Allegations: Assault, Threats, and Forced Confinement
According to the FIR, Bharti Dixit alleged that her husband often consumed alcohol and threatened her, repeatedly pressuring her to agree to a divorce. The FIR further mentions that on October 14 and 15, Ashish Modi allegedly abducted her and their daughter, holding them hostage in a house for over an hour.
She claimed that Modi showed her a pistol, confiscated her phone, and threatened to harm her family if she did not comply with his demands. Dixit also alleged that spy cameras and illegal phone tracking were used to monitor and blackmail her.
Marriage Allegedly Under False Pretences
In her complaint, Dixit — a 2014 batch IAS officer aged 38 — stated that her husband manipulated her during her IAS selection period, when her father was suffering from cancer. She alleged that Ashish Modi coerced her into marriage by falsely claiming details about his cadre.
At the time, Modi had been allotted the Nagaland cadre, but according to her, he misrepresented himself to appear as a Rajasthan cadre officer. “He took advantage of my mental state and forced me into marriage. Later, I found everything he told me was false,” she stated in her FIR.
Years of Turmoil and Repeated Abuse
The IAS officer recounted that after marriage, Modi frequently stayed away from home for days and became violent when questioned. In 2018, the couple had a daughter through IVF, after which, she alleged, her husband’s behavior grew even more aggressive.
She accused him of strangulation attempts, repeated assaults, and verbal abuse, forcing her to stay with her parents in Delhi for months for safety. “Even in a government house, I feared for my life,” she told police.
Extramarital Affairs and Public Scandals
Dixit further claimed that during her husband’s postings in Jaisalmer, Bhilwara, and Bikaner, he allegedly maintained extramarital relationships, which even became the subject of local media reports.
She said that in 2020, upon visiting Jaisalmer with her father, she found another woman living with her husband. When she confronted him, Modi allegedly threatened her and sent her back.
She alleged that even subsequent counseling sessions within the bureaucracy and family discussions failed to change his behavior.
The October Incident: “Divorce or Destruction”
The most alarming events allegedly occurred in mid-October. Dixit stated that on October 14, her husband threatened her with divorce, saying he would keep their daughter. The next morning, he allegedly forced her and their child into a government vehicle without a driver and took them on a different route.
After dropping the child at school, the driver was switched, and she was taken to another location, where she claims she was detained and threatened by her husband and an associate, Surendra Vishnoi.
“They locked me in a room, took my phone, and threatened to destroy my family if I didn’t agree to divorce,” the FIR reads. She added that she was forced to call her father and falsely say she was in the hospital due to “high sugar levels.”
Attempted Blackmail and Surveillance Allegations
In her complaint, Dixit also alleged that a spy camera was found in her room, and that her husband had illegally linked her phone to two other devices to monitor her calls and movements. She claimed that Modi would often say, “I know every moment of your life.”
Police sources confirmed that an investigation has been launched and statements are being recorded. Officials said further details will emerge after technical verification of devices and CCTV evidence.
Police Action and Bureaucratic Silence
The SMS Police Station has registered a case under multiple IPC sections related to assault, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, and harassment.
So far, neither Ashish Modi nor the Social Justice Department has issued an official response. Senior bureaucrats in Jaipur have declined to comment, citing the sensitive nature of the allegations.
The case, however, has reignited debates over power dynamics, workplace ethics, and domestic violence within the civil services.
