Corruption
SIT Files Chargesheet Against Former DGP BS Sidhu in Dehradun Land Scam
The investigation, led by DIG P Renuka and initiated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, revealed that Sidhu manipulated documents and used his influence to illegally register the land in his name. The SIT has charged the accused under multiple sections of the IPC, while the investigation continues against five other individuals.
Dehradun: In a significant development, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a chargesheet against BS Sidhu, a former Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand, for allegedly acquiring reserved forest land in Dehradun through fraudulent means. Sidhu, who was a 1979-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, served as the DGP from September 2013 to April 2016.
The chargesheet, submitted in court, names Sidhu and five others as accused in the case. The SIT has also stated that the investigation will continue against another five individuals who are also implicated in the matter.
The case dates back to 2012, when Sidhu, then an Additional Director General (ADG) of Police, allegedly orchestrated the illegal acquisition of around 9 bighas of land in the Birgirwali area of Rajpur range, a reserved forest area on Old Mussoorie Road. The SIT has alleged that Sidhu managed to get the land registered in his name and even facilitated the illegal felling of 25 Sal trees without proper permissions.
Initially, the land was registered in the name of a person named Nathuram two decades ago. However, after the area was declared a reserved forest and acquired by the Forest Department, Sidhu allegedly manipulated the system. He found another individual named Nathuram in Rasulpur village, Meerut district, and coerced him into claiming ownership of the land. With the help of Chaman Singh, the village head of Rasulpur, fake documents were created, showing this Nathuram as the rightful owner of the land.
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These falsified documents were then used to transfer the land to Sidhu’s name. The mutation of the plot was completed on 13 March 2013. However, the sons of the original Nathuram, who had been living in Kashiram Quarters on Dispensary Road, secured a stay order against this mutation from the Additional Tehsildar’s Court on 25 March 2013.
During this period, two more individuals, Rahmuddin and Haji Rizwan, emerged, claiming to have the power of attorney for the land. As the matter unraveled, the fraudulent nature of the deal became apparent. The second Nathuram, manipulated by Sidhu, eventually filed a case against him at the city police station on 5 July 2013. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the investigation stalled during Sidhu’s tenure as DGP. It was only after his retirement that the investigation gained momentum and more details of the fraudulent deal came to light.
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The SIT inquiry was led by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) P Renuka and was set up by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. After nearly a year of thorough investigation, the SIT has filed a chargesheet against five individuals: former DGP BS Sidhu, Rahmuddin, Haji Rizwan, Subhash Sharma, and Smita Dixit. They have been charged under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The investigation is ongoing against the other five accused, and it is anticipated that they will also be charge-sheeted soon.
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