By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 27 Aug: Retired senior IFS officer and former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCG) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Rajiv Bhartari has filed a defamation case against another former HoFF and retired senior IFS officer Vinod Kumar. Bhartari has accused Singhal of trying to falsely implicate him in the Pakhro Tiger Safari case. At Bhartari’s appeal, the court has summoned Vinod Kumar in the case.
The summon has been issued by the court of Third Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Dehradun, under Sections 200 of CrPC (the procedure for a magistrate to take cognisance of an offense based on a complaint) and 202 of CrPC (examination of complainant and witnesses).
It may be recalled that the Court has been hearing the case for the past several months and has also recorded statements of witnesses Dhananjay Prasad and Gajendra Ramola. While Prasad is a former forest officer, Ramola is an environmental activist.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Bhartari has confirmed that the former HoFF has been summoned by the Court on his plea in the case. He also shared that the case was filed several months ago and that several hearings have taken place, thus far.
Bhartari has accused Vinod Kumar of not only attempting to falsely implicate him in the Pakhro Range case but also of damaging his image based on wrong claims and of wrongly occupying his position as HoFF by making wrong claims before the authorities concerned.
In its 15 page order, the Court has mentioned that the complainant, Rajiv Bhartari, has accused Vinod Kumar of taking over his position as HoFF and of damaging his image by making fake claims. In his application, Bhartari has claimed that Kumar had wrongly implicated him in the case by deliberately manipulating documents related to the Joshi Committee Report. In his complaint filed before the court, Bhartari has claimed that the Kapil Joshi Committee, which was set up by the then interim HoFF Vinod Singhal, has nowhere mentioned him as a suspect or accused. In his plea, Bhartari has reminded that while his name either as suspect or accused has not been mentioned by Joshi Committee report, Vinod Kumar had forwarded the report to the state government and in his covering and forwarding letter, wrongly mentioned him as an accused. Bhartari was removed as HoFF by the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat and, in his place, Vinod Kumar was given interim charge as HoFF. Bhartari has also reminded that the committee had found the then Chief Wildlife Warden, JS Suhag (IFS), as one of the main accused.
Bhartari has also mentioned that the Joshi Committee’s report was finalised in consent with Kumar. Kumar while forwarding the report had mentioned him as one of the accused while giving benefit of doubt to then Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve. Bhartari said that based on the contents of the covering letter, the government called for his explanation and issued a chargesheet against him. This act has defamed him, tarnished his image and caused him much harm. The news of him being issued chargesheet had been published widely across the country and caused him much harm besides tarnishing his image. He had later been reinstated as HoFF on the orders of the High Court but did not last long as HoFF because of the conspiracy against him.
The case has been going on for the past several months and it is after several hearings that the Court has issued summons to former HoFF Vinod Kumar. He also claimed that Kumar was the biggest beneficiary of the act of his (Bhartari’s) removal as HoFF and therefore he was an interested party. In his plea, Bhartari has also mentioned that in its report, Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), had specifically mentioned that there is nothing on record against him in the Pakhro case.
