52 Facts About Sanjiv Chaturvedi

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was born on 21 December 1974 and is an Indian Forest Service officer posted as Chief Conservator of Forest at Haldwani in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi graduated as an electrical engineer in 1995 from the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, situated at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi became an Indian Forest Service officer 2002 with Haryana cadre and later got transferred to Uttarakhand Cadre.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was a whistleblower in the Haryana Forestry case, which occurred under the regime of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kiran Chaudhary.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was a whistleblower later in larger scams in the health sector during his tenure as chief vigilance officer of AIIMS.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi made a number of decisions during his management of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, and undertook conservation and research projects in the state of Uttarakhand.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi served there from August 2005 to June 2012 in Kurukshetra, Fatehabad, Jhajjar and Hisar, where he publicised corruption in mining, licensing, fake herbal park, fake plantation and instances of illicit felling and poaching in protected areas.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi's first posting was in Kurukshetra, where he registered a first information report against contractors for large-scale, illicit tree felling and poaching of hog deer in the nearby Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was reprimanded by the Principal Secretary and transferred to Fatehabad on 30 May 2007.

In Fatehabad, Sanjiv Chaturvedi found that large amounts of public money were spent on private land to develop an herbal park.

On 3 August 2007, Haryana Chief Minister Hooda, suspended Sanjiv Chaturvedi without specifying a reason.

When his suspension was lifted by the president in January 2008, Sanjiv Chaturvedi was assigned to a non-cadre post.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi suspected that senior officers were involved, and requested an investigation.

Subsequently, Sanjiv Chaturvedi started facing harassment in form of bogus cases.

In 2012, the Hooda government charged Sanjiv Chaturvedi with neglecting plantation maintenance.

In May 2010, when Sanjiv Chaturvedi went abroad for 18 days of official training, the Chief Minister's Office declared his post vacant.

The president's order censured the Haryana state government for harassing Sanjiv Chaturvedi by blocking his promotion and transferring him.

Between 2008 and 2014, the president issued four orders supporting Sanjiv Chaturvedi and reversing the Hooda government.

In May 2012, Sanjiv Chaturvedi was selected by the central government as a deputy secretary at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi under the Union Health Ministry.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi petitioned the Supreme Court for a CBI investigation, and notices were issued to the central government, the CBI and the Haryana government in November 2012.

In June 2018, an official in the secretariat of Haryana's Forest Branch filed a police complaint against the chief minister because documents related to Sanjiv Chaturvedi's case were removed and returned by the chief minister's office.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi threatened to petition the high court if no action was taken against those responsible for the disappearance of the documents.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi later changed his statement, saying that Sanjeev had committed suicide because of harassment by Chaturvedi and a subsequent suspension.

In February 2015, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recommended a new SIT to probe allegations that Tomar committed suicide due to harassment by Sanjiv Chaturvedi; this was based on a petition filed by Rampal Singh Tomar.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi's counsel argued that the case had already been investigated by four SITs and reviewed by senior police officers, who found no evidence of harassment.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi stated that forming a new SIT would hound an officer who had exposed several scams.

On 29 June 2012, Sanjiv Chaturvedi was made deputy secretary and chief vigilance officer of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi began about 200 corruption cases as AIIMS CVO; sanctions were imposed in 78 cases, charges were brought in 87, and over 20 were referred to the CBI for criminal investigation.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was supported by AIIMS staff and the Aam Aadmi Party, who staged demonstrations.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi had accused Chaudhary of bending rules to extend tenure to an engineer supervising works worth 3,700 crore.

Health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan said that Sanjiv Chaturvedi was removed because he was ineligible for the CVO post, and the government decision had no male fides.

That month, Sanjiv Chaturvedi said that he was disappointed with the Modi government for not acting on the corruption cases.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi received support from the AIIMS student union and employees.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi further alleged that the CVC did not exercise his disciplinary authority in closing the cases.

In February 2019, Sanjiv Chaturvedi wrote to Prime Minister Modi asking him to disclose details of Modi's phone conversation with Harsh Vardhan.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi sought information on corruption complaints against Modi government ministers, a copy of the inquiry report and action taken on the complaints by the prime minister.

In November 2018, Sanjiv Chaturvedi filed a non-compliance complaint against the prime minister's office with the Central Information Commission under Section 18 of the RTI Act.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi challenged the defamation case in the Supreme Court, which overturned the Himachal Pradesh High Court ruling the following month and asked it to re-hear the case.

In October 2012, Sanjiv Chaturvedi applied for a change of cadre from Haryana to Uttarakhand on the grounds of extreme hardship, including frequent transfers, a suspension and false cases.

The state government cancelled the Delhi posting within 24 hours at a press conference called by Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who said that Sanjiv Chaturvedi would receive a posting of his choice in Uttarakhand.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi initiated projects on the impact of climate change on rhododendron bloom, changes in the tree line, and carbon sequestration of broad-leaved species.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi began a conservation program for fern species, and a project for the conservation and propagation of species in the state's alpine meadows.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi initiated projects researching 17 tree species which yield dye, tannin and gum.

In June 2021, a unique garden called Bharat Vatika was unveiled, prepared by Research Wing under Sanjiv Chaturvedi and inaugurated by schoolgirls.

In September 2017, Sanjiv Chaturvedi was ordered by the Uttarakhand government to investigate irregularities in the Champawat Forest Division.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi discovered the illegal cutting of pine trees, and a resin scam in which money earmarked for resin collection was diverted.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi was director of the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in May and June 2019.

In September 2021 a division bench of Uttarakhand High Court led by Chief Justice, in a detailed order, allowed Sanjiv Chaturvedi to argue his case in person.

Later on, in October 2021, Sanjiv Chaturvedi won main case, arguing against Central Government regarding issue concerned to his service matter.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi donated his Magsaysay Award to the AIIMS for treatment of poor patients.

The Prime Minister's Office initially rejected the donation, saying that it could not accept donations with conditions, but accepted it after Sanjiv Chaturvedi clarified that he had not imposed any conditions.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi has been invited by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administrative in Mussoorie, and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun to lecture senior officers and probationers on anti-corruption strategies.