By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 24 Jul: The appearance of suspended Uttarakhand Police constable Sher Singh in police uniform at the ongoing CJP-led protest over the paper leak issue at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar yesterday has sent shockwaves through the Uttarakhand Police establishment, prompting the Police Headquarters to seek a detailed report into the incident. The video of Sher Singh addressing protesters from the stage while dressed in Uttarakhand Police uniform has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread discussion and raising serious questions about his conduct and the claims he made during the demonstration.
Sher Singh, who has remained under suspension since 2025 and is stated to be no longer in active police service, had claimed before the gathering yesterday that hundreds of Uttarakhand Police personnel were prepared to resign from their jobs and join the agitation. Addressing the protesting youth, he said that, if the country’s young people continued to be beaten on the streets, the nation could never progress. Referring to the police action against protesters, he claimed that while lathi-charge was being carried out on the youth, he himself had been deployed on the security duty of “corrupt leaders”. He further alleged that after witnessing a woman protester being beaten with batons, he had felt like using his AK-47. In another provocative statement, he declared that, if the country itself does not survive, what is the point of his job and added that he had left the Uttarakhand Police job and come to protect the common people.
Ironic however is the fact that Sher Singh is presently under suspension and is facing serious criminal charges over alleged involvement with noted gangster Praveen Valmiki. Interestingly, while Singh who faces serious criminal charges, is seen addressing the youth there against corruption!
His presence at the protest in Uttarakhand Police uniform immediately rattled the police department, with senior officers taking cognisance of the viral video and initiating inquiries into how a suspended constable could publicly wear the uniform while participating in a political demonstration. Police Headquarters has sought complete details of the episode and officials have indicated that appropriate action will be taken after verifying all facts in accordance with service rules.
In fact, in a video message today, IG Kumaon Nivedita Kukreti today stated that the constable, Sher Singh, is circulating a baseless statement intended to provoke student protests, which has gone viral. She clarified that the constable had been absent without permission from Pithoragarh district since 28 June 2026. A notice had been issued to him by the Superintendent of Police, Pithoragarh, and on failing to respond, he was suspended on 20 July 2026. She also added that Sher Singh has a criminal history. Along with an associate, he was involved in organised crime with the notorious gangster Praveen Valmiki. They intimidated innocent people and forcibly grabbed their land. He was arrested on 15 January 2025 and sent to jail, where he spent several months before being released on bail.
Kukreti stated that departmental proceedings for his dismissal are already underway, and now, in connection with the baseless statement he has made, necessary legal and departmental action is being taken.
Sources said Sher Singh had earlier been posted in Pithoragarh district and is a resident of Haridwar. He has been under suspension since 2025 after being arrested in a serious criminal case registered at Gangnahar Police Station in Haridwar. He had reportedly proceeded on leave before appearing at the Jantar Mantar protest.
His dramatic declaration of “resignation” from the stage has also come under scrutiny, as he has already been under suspension for more than a year and is not performing active police duties. This has raised questions over the legitimacy and purpose of his so-called resignation, with observers asking whether it was a genuine resignation from service or merely an attempt to attract public and media attention.
Sher Singh is facing grave criminal charges in connection with an alleged land grabbing racket linked to notorious Haridwar-Roorkee gangster Praveen Valmiki. A criminal case, registered as Case Crime No. 415 of 2025 at Gangnahar Police Station, Haridwar, invokes Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 111(2)(b), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to the investigation, Sher Singh allegedly played an active role in the criminal syndicate operated by Praveen Valmiki, who is currently lodged in jail and faces multiple serious criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion and illegal land grabbing. Investigators alleged that Sher Singh, along with Manish Baller, Hasan Abbas Zaidi and other accused persons, assisted the gang in intimidating local residents, forcibly grabbing land and deriving illegal financial gains from such activities.
The investigation further revealed that a widow from Roorkee and her family had been repeatedly threatened by the gang led by Valmiki. It is alleged that after the woman’s brother and brother-in-law were fired upon by gang members, she was forced to leave her home with her children out of fear. During this period, her land was allegedly encroached upon and fraudulently sold.
Investigators have also alleged that while serving as a constable in Uttarakhand Police, Sher Singh misused his official position by repeatedly meeting gangster Praveen Valmiki in Sitarganj Jail and at the Roorkee court, and attempting to pressurise the victim and her family into withdrawing the case. He is also accused of bringing the victim face-to-face with the gangster during court proceedings to intimidate her and of sharing the illegal financial benefits arising from the disputed land transactions along with other members of the criminal gang.
Following the emergence of what investigators described as sufficient evidence, Sher Singh was arrested on September 15, 2025 and remanded to judicial custody. He was subsequently granted bail by the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital on 7 November, 2025. He was placed under suspension immediately after his arrest and has remained out of active police service ever since.
Against this backdrop, his appearance in uniform at the Jantar Mantar protest and his public claim of resigning from the police force have assumed greater significance. More than his speech itself, it was the presence of a suspended constable facing serious criminal charges and alleged links with a notorious gangster on the protest stage that caused considerable unease within the Uttarakhand Police, forcing the department to initiate an inquiry into the entire episode.
