A deputy commissioner-level Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Gaurav Garg, has accused a joint commissioner-level officer, Yogendra Kumar Mishra, of assault in an incident stemming from a months-old dispute over a departmental cricket match. The incident took place at the Income Tax office in Hazratganj, Lucknow, and has led to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) with the local police.
According to the complaint filed by Garg, a 2016-batch IRS officer, the altercation occurred on May 29, 2025, when Mishra, currently posted in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, allegedly barged into a departmental meeting and launched a premeditated and violent assault. The root of the conflict lies in an incident dating back to February 2025, when Mishra, who was then posted in Lucknow, reportedly insisted on being appointed as the captain of the departmental cricket team for a tournament.
Garg stated that after Mishra's request to captain the team was turned down, he threatened to disrupt the match by squatting on the pitch. He allegedly continued to harass team members via WhatsApp, sending threatening and abusive messages. These messages included claims of knowing about a player's sister's affair and warnings that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) was watching them, even allegedly threatening to plant drugs to frame them. It is reported that over a dozen complaints were filed against Mishra, which eventually led to his transfer to Uttarakhand.
On May 29, during preparations for a farewell event for the outgoing principal chief commissioner, Mishra allegedly stormed into the office, hurling abuses and demanding the revocation of his transfer orders. The FIR states that Mishra then picked up a glass tumbler, splashed water on Garg, and attempted to stab him with the broken glass. When Garg tried to leave, Mishra allegedly grabbed him by the throat and choked him, further punching him repeatedly, causing injuries to his nose, lips, and ear, and even kicking him in the groin. Garg was admitted to the Civil Hospital. Doctors have stated that his condition is stable.
Following the registration of the FIR, Yogendra Mishra took to social media to claim that he was facing harassment, defamation, and malicious police complaints. Mishra alleged he was being targeted for exposing irregularities in tax investigations carried out during Garg's tenure as his predecessor in Kanpur. He claimed that a minor on-field dispute during the cricket match in February was resolved amicably, but Garg later leaked a distorted video of the incident through his wife, an IPS officer, to a journalist known for blackmailing officials.
The police have charged Yogendra Mishra with attempt to murder and obstruction of government work, and are currently investigating the case. BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief, Bhupendra Chaudhary, visited Garg in the hospital, stating that he came to check on his health and did not see any political angle in the incident.
This is not the first time Yogendra Mishra has been embroiled in controversy. He is reportedly facing multiple departmental inquiries, including allegations of indecent behavior, threats to colleagues, and blackmail. In March 2025, he disrupted a cricket match in Lucknow after being excluded from the team, lying on the pitch in protest.
