Following media reports about sub-inspector Nirvikar Singh’s court affidavit accusing senior police officers of trying to influence the police investigation of a case in which DGP BS Sidhu is accused of buying forest land and getting green trees axed from it, the Mussoorie forest sub divisional officer (SDO) DP Baluni said, “Police officer’s disclosure in this case has strengthened our demand for conducting independent investigation by the CBI or any other independent agency.”
It may be mentioned that the Forest Department had submitted a chargesheet in the court last year in this case after which Sidhu had filed an FIR against department staff and workers. Baluni said, “When this issue came to light, we had suspected that junior officers might not conduct unbiased inquiry against their senior officers and the revelation by Singh has substantiated our apprehensions. We had earlier demanded an independent inquiry by the CBI or special investigating team.”
last year, the Dehradun Police had arrested forest department contractor Kuldeep Singh Negi who had followed instructions issued by the forest officer. Talking to The Pioneer on the phone, SI Nirvikar Singh said, “I had submitted an affidavit in court and whatsoever I had faced as investigating officer then was highlighted in this affidavit.”
As State Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu was not available on phone but earlier, Sidhu had said, “We would welcome if forest department officials demand CBI inquiry in connection with the cutting of trees in the reserved forest area.” It should be mentioned here that 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 and 26 forest Act in Rajpur Police Station on July 9, 2013. The matter subsequently went to court.