HMT land row: Govt suspends IFS officer, cites violation of service rules

Bengaluru: Days after reports said a senior IFS officer R Gokul has written to the CBI seeking protection against an attempt to frame him in a scam, the state government on Wednesday suspended the officer, citing violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules.

The suspension order dated June 4, listed three major reasons, starting with the alleged irregularities in the filing of the interlocutory application seeking the Supreme Court’s permission for denotification of 443 acres 6 gunta land claimed by the HMT at Peenya Plantation. The land’s value is estimated at over Rs 14,000 crore.
The department had issued notice to the officer for filing the affidavit before the apex court without obtaining the approval of the then minister-in charge or the state cabinet. In his reply, Gokul had said that he had only executed the written orders issued by the higher ups.

“The replies received by the said officers, except (retired IAS officer) Sri Sandeep Dave, have been examined by Forest, Ecology and Environment Department and referred along with the opinion of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms to examine and initiate necessary action,” the preamble explained.

The two other reasons included the letter written by the officer to the CBI. Gokul had stated that his position as a prosecution witness in illegal mining cases, including the one in which Congress MLA Satish Sail was convicted, has led to his victimisation.

Expressing fear of being framed in the HMT denotification case despite having no role in the matter, he sought protection.

Thirdly, the order said, Gokul filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court without prior giving intimation or permission from the government. The intervention application was “against” the government’s affidavit filed to withdraw the previous request seeking permission for denotification.

“In the circumstances explained in the preamble, R Gokul, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of FOrests and Director General, EMPRI, Bengaluru, is placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending inquiry,” the order said.