Dehradun, Oct. 11 -- Uttarakhand government has initiated departmental inquiries against three senior officials in connection with alleged irregularities in a land purchase by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation in Village Sarai. The officials under scrutiny are the then District Magistrate Karmendra Singh, the then Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary, and the then Deputy District Magistrate Ajayveer Singh, who has been suspended. According to an order issued by the Home Department, based on prima facie involvement, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Ajayveer Singh under the provisions of the Uttarakhand Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2003 (as amended). He was previously issued a charge sheet and given an opportunity to present his side of the story. In response, he submitted his written statement on September 16, 2025, denying all allegations. Dr. Anand Srivastava, IAS, Additional Secretary, has been appointed as the investigating officer for Ajayveer Singh's case and is expected to submit his report within a month. For the other two officials, IAS officer Sachin Kurve has been designated to oversee the inquiry. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, " State government is firmly pursuing a policy of zero tolerance for corruption and irregularities. Ensuring transparency and accountability in governance is our top priority. Strict action will be taken if irregularities are found at any level, regardless of the official's rank". The case involves the acquisition of 2.3070 hectares of "unsuitable" land located near a garbage dump in Sarai village for approximately Rs.54 crore. Originally classified as agricultural land, it was swiftly converted to non-agricultural (commercial) land just days before the sale, inflating its value from an estimated Rs.13 crore to around Rs.54 crore. The land-use conversion was carried out in an unusually short timeframe-around a week-raising suspicion about possible irregularities, as such changes typically undergo rigorous scrutiny and approval processes. The CM on April 29 had ordered an investigation into allegations of irregularities in land purchase under Haridwar Municipal Corporation after receiving complaints from Haridwar mayor and other sources regarding irregularities in purchases under the Corporation....