Suspended sub-inspector Nirvikar Singh who was earlier awarded a medal for excellence in service by the Governor on January 26, 2012 and an appreciation letter by the Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Home in 2013, alleged, “I am being made a scapegoat with departmental enquiries being set up against me because I had not followed the instruction of senior police officers who were trying to influence the police investigation in the case of forest land purchase by the Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu.” The DGP had allegedly bought forest land on which green trees were axed.
Nirvikar Singh who joined the police department as sub-inspector in 1978-79 was suspended on May 19 this year for earlier addressing a Press conference in Dehradun wherein he had accused the DGP of attempting to influence the police inquiry into the purchase of a forest land by Sidhu.
Singh said, “In 30 years of my service in Police department, I have investigated numerous cases without receiving an adverse entry but departmental actions were initiated against me after I submitted an affidavit in the court alleging that senior police officers were trying to influence the police investigation in the forest land purchase case. In the affidavit I had highlighted points which need to be investigated and stated that departmental inquiries were instituted after April 2014 on my investigation of about half a dozen cases of Kotwali, Raipur, Dalanwala and Nehru Colony. Inquiry was also set up against me regarding affidavit I had submitted in the court and a letter regarding the same was submitted to the state government. I am not protesting against the policy of the State Government and the police department but raising the issues pertaining to DGP BS Sidhu who had allegedly bought the forest land and directed green trees to be axed there,” he reiterated.
Singh said, “The then SP City had made me an investigation officer of this case on November 15, 2013 because IO was on leave and the statement of one of the witnesses was to be recorded under section 164 of CrPC in the court. I was removed from the post of IO after three days because I did not follow the directions of their senior to favour the DGP in this case. later I was transferred to Rudraprayag.”
He further said, “I joined the police as a SI in 1978-79 and denied promotion because I had earlier opted for the Uttar Pradesh cadre. In 2010, I joined Uttarakhand cadre. In 2011, I appeared in the examination for the post of inspector but I got minimum marks. In 2014, I was disqualified in the interview by a panel headed by DGP Sidhu. I was given only four out of 10 marks in the interview held in January 2014 though I had scored 74.55 out of 90 service record marks. Some sub-inspectors who had secured 70 marks in their service record were promoted because they secured maximum marks (9 out of 10) in the interview. Though, I had approached the High Court in this matter but my plea was rejected, so I will again file a review petition in the HC.”
Singh said that earlier, he was deputed as investigating officer in Special Research Branch, Dehradun from 2007-13. “I had investigated a Pakistani terrorist who was arrested in Haridwar during Kumbh Mela. Based on the investigation report, the terrorist was given maximum punishment by the court. For this, I received a letter of appreciation from IB, Ministry of Home, GoI in 2013. Based on good performance, I was assigned to investigate the murder case of a Deputy jailor in Haridwar. In this case also, I was awarded for distinguished service by then Governor Margaret Alva on January 26, 2012,” he added.
DGP Sidhu had purchased a piece of land on Old Mussoorie Road in Dehradun which the Forest Department asserted was reserve forest land. Sidhu had lodged an FIR against Anarwala residents Ved Prakash Mahawar and Satish Gupta, Rajawala resident and forest guard Sri Prasad Saklani, Mussoorie divisional forest officer Dheeraj Pandey under Sections 420, 120B, 166, 167, 504 of the IPC and 26 Forest Act in Rajpur Police Station on July 9, 2013. The matter subsequently went to court.