Former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey and former IAS officer Dinesh Chandra were among the candidates interviewed for the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ram temple. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra said the interview process for the top administrative post concluded on Wednesday after being conducted over two days. Of the 16 shortlisted candidates, 10 were interviewed on Tuesday and the remaining six on Wednesday.
According to a press release issued by the trust, the interviews marked the final phase of a multi-stage recruitment process that began with 5,585 applications for the CEO position. A retired Director General of Police (DGP) from a neighbouring state was also among those interviewed on the second day.
Rajesh Pandey's Police Career
Pandey, a former Uttar Pradesh Police officer, was among the founding members of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). He played a key role in operations targeting organised crime and terrorism.
He has extensive experience in counter-terrorism operations and is also recognised for his expertise in electronic surveillance and mobile phone tracking.
During his postings in western Uttar Pradesh, Pandey handled several major law-and-order and crowd-management situations, earning a reputation for his operational skills and field leadership.
After retiring from the state police, Pandey continued in a security-related role. The Uttar Pradesh government later appointed him as the nodal security officer for the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
He also serves as secretary of the trust that manages the Hanuman temple in Aliganj.
Dinesh Chandra's Administrative Experience
Dinesh Chandra, a 2012-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has held several important administrative positions in the state.
He has served as District Magistrate of Jaunpur, Bahraich and Kanpur Dehat. Chandra has also worked as Municipal Commissioner of Ghaziabad and Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Aligarh.