Uttarakhand: SIT formed in farmer suicide case, 12 policemen transferred

The deceased, a resident of Paiga village in Udham Singh Nagar district, allegedly shot himself at a hotel in Gaulapar on the intervening night of January 10 and 11

Published on: Jan 15, 2026, 17:28:12 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the suicide of a 39-year-old farmer in Kathgodam who was allegedly cheated of ₹4 crore in a land deal, police said.

A five-member SIT has been constituted under Inspector General (IG) of the Special Task Force (STF) Nilesh Anand Bharne. (Representative photo)

The deceased, a resident of Paiga village in Udham Singh Nagar district, allegedly shot himself at a hotel in Gaulapar on the intervening night of January 10 and 11.

A video of him accusing a few people, including police personnel, in Kashipur of cheating him of ₹4 crore in a land transaction, alleging that neither the land was provided nor his money returned, was shared on social media.

Around 12 police personnel, including three sub-inspectors, one assistant sub-inspector, one head constable and seven constables, who were earlier suspended in connection with the case, have been transferred with immediate effect to Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts in the Garhwal range.

A five-member SIT was constituted under Inspector General (IG) of the Special Task Force (STF) Nilesh Anand Bharne. The team includes Superintendent of Police (SP), Champawat, Ajay Ganpati; Circle Officer, Tanakpur, Vandana Verma; Inspector Diwan Singh Bisht; and Sub-Inspector Manish Khatri, both from Champawat district, according to a statement issued by the Police Headquarters.

The police department has directed the SIT to probe the claims made in the video that surfaced on social media, as well as allegations against some locals and police personnel mentioned in an email sent by the deceased.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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