UP: Cricket match dispute takes a drastic turn, IRS officer accuses colleague of ‘attempt to murder’. Here is what we know so far
A minor scuffle during a cricket match led to two Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers led to the registration of an FIR. A deputy commissioner-level IRS officer accused a joint commissioner of physically attacking him over a three-month-old dispute relating to a cricket match.
As per reports, the complainant deputy commissioner Gaurav Garg, posted at the income tax office in Hazratganj, alleged that joint commissioner Yogendra Kumar Mishra, currently posted in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, stormed into his office on Thursday (29th May) and physically attacked him in a premeditated manner in front of senior officers.
DCP (central) Ashish Srivastava said that an FIR was lodged in connection with the incident on Friday (30th May) at Hazratganj police station at Lucknow under sections 109(1) (attempt to murder), 121(2) (causing hurt to public servant), 221 (obstruction of duty), 324(3) (mischief), 352 (intentional insult) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS, along with relevant sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
Garg said that Mishra attacked him because of an old dispute over a cricket match dating back to 13th Feb. Mishra, who was posted in Lucknow at that time, was allegedly upset over not being made the captain of a departmental cricket team during a tournament.
He threatened to disrupt the match by squatting on the pitch. Garg alleged that even after the cricket match, Mishra kept harassing the team members by sending them messages on WhatsApp.
The FIR reportedly states that Mishra allegedly used abusive language, accused officials of plotting against him, and demanded the cancellation of his transfer orders. He allegedly threw water on Garg using a glass tumbler and tried to attack him with broken glass. “I was gasping for breath and barely managed to free myself. He then punched me repeatedly, injuring my nose, lips ear and a front tooth. He even kicked me before others intervened,” Garg alleged in the FIR.
Mishra denies allegation against him, alleges corruption
Joint Commissioner Yogendra Mishra, made a series of posts on X on Friday alleging that Garg tried to malign his reputation by circulating a doctored video of the cricket match incident which was amicably solved.
He denied the allegations levelled by Garg in the FIR and said, “I did not retaliate…the entire incident is captured on CCTV cam and witnessed by multiple senior officers. Yet, a false counter-narrative is being spread online to portray me as the aggressor. I urge authorities to conduct a fair, evidence-based inquiry before entertaining any malicious or frivolous FIR against me.”
Mishra, who succeeded Garg, claimed that he was being targeted for exposing irregularities in tax investigations carried out during Garg’s tenure.
“Since 2022, after I succeeded Gaurav Garg, IRS, in Kanpur, I reported serious lapses in tax investigations during his tenure. This led to his animosity and a sustained vendetta against me. On February 13, 2025, minor dispute at a departmental cricket match was amicably resolved with apologies from all sides. Yet, months later, a distorted video of this settled incident was leaked by Gaurav Garg to malign my reputation. On March 29, this old video was circulated on Twitter by a journalist, who then attempted to blackmail me for ₹50,000. Evidence of this blackmail, including chat logs, has been submitted to authorities,” Mishra wrote.
No cross complaint hasyet been received by the police from Mishra.
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