Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday suspended senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer R Gokul, citing violations of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules. The suspension comes in the wake of Gokul’s letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he sought protection from what he claimed was an attempt to frame him in a high-stakes land scam.
Affidavit on HMT Land Denotification Under Scanner
The suspension order dated June 4 lists three key reasons, starting with alleged procedural violations in filing an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court. The application pertained to the denotification of 443 acres and 6 guntas of land claimed by HMT at Peenya Plantation, valued at over ₹14,000 crore.
According to the government, the affidavit was submitted without prior approval from the concerned minister or the state cabinet. Gokul, however, claimed that he merely followed written orders from his superiors.
Read Also: Peenya Land Row: IFS Officer R Gokul Faces Suspension After Writing to CBI, Alleges Victimisation
CBI Letter Sparks Controversy
The second reason for his suspension cited his recent letter to the CBI, in which Gokul stated he was being targeted for his role as a prosecution witness in illegal mining cases, including the one involving Congress MLA Satish Sail, who was convicted. Gokul expressed fears of being implicated in the HMT case despite having no direct role in it, and sought protection from central agencies.
SC Intervention Application Without Govt Nod
The third charge involves Gokul’s intervention application in the Supreme Court. The officer had filed a petition opposing the government’s revised stance – which sought to withdraw an earlier request for denotification of the HMT land – without informing or securing approval from the state government.
Suspended Pending Inquiry
The suspension order states, “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 state government is reportedly examining the matter further, in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) and the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department.
