I, Dr. Raghuram Rao Akkinepally, initiated disciplinary action against Mr. P.J.P. Singh Waraich, who is presently serving as the Registrar. However, no inquiry was conducted into the issues that were listed in his charge sheet, despite being supported by documentary evidence.
Dr. V. M. Katoch, as the Chairman, and Mr. Rajneesh Tingal, Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, routinely awaited emails or complaints from Mr. Waraich before initiating action against others, including me.
On October 18, 2018, Mr. Waraich sent an email to Mr. Tingal and Dr. V. M. Katoch, copying the PMO, the Forest Minister, and the Chief Conservator of Punjab. In his email, he alleged that a very old heritage tree located at the corner of the Director’s bungalow (my residence) at NIPER, SAS Nagar, was being chopped down by labourers under the supervision of Dr. A.S. Sandhu. He claimed that upon inquiring with Dr. Sandhu, he was told the fencing around the Director’s residence was being shifted. Mr. Waraich further alleged that no permission had been obtained from the appropriate authority or forest officials, repeatedly stressing that it was an old and heritage tree. He also took photographs of the site, including pictures of the Director’s bungalow.
In response to this complaint, Dr. A. S. Sandhu submitted a written explanation on October 20, 2018. He stated that during their interaction, Mr. Waraich’s tone was harsh—even in the presence of workers and security personnel. Dr. Sandhu clarified that the tree in question had only been pruned. He identified it as Ficus elastica, an ornamental species, and stated that two such plants near the Director’s residence had been selectively pruned to control overgrowth. He noted that this had been a standard horticultural practice since the inception of the campus, aimed at maintaining plant shape and aesthetics, and posed no danger to the plant’s existence.
Dr. Sandhu further explained that pruning was necessary to maintain a rounded shape, prevent the presence of snakes and rodents, and ensure a clear line of sight at the nearby four-way traffic intersection, which could otherwise become a blind spot due to overgrowth. While such plants may be left untrimmed in open areas, those near roads, paths, and buildings require regular maintenance, as their roots can travel long distances and potentially damage structures.
Dr. Sandhu held an M.Sc. in Botany and a Ph.D., whereas Mr. Waraich had no formal knowledge of plants or trees. Educationally, Mr. Waraich was not on par with Dr. Sandhu, having secured third division marks throughout his academic career up to graduation. Dr. Sandhu stated, to the best of his knowledge, that no plant had been officially designated as a “heritage plant” on the NIPER campus. He also pointed out that Ficus elastica is not a prominent medicinal plant and therefore cannot be classified as a heritage plant in the context of NIPER’s objectives.
That such a complaint came from someone serving as Registrar, especially when NIPER Mohali was less than 26 years old at the time—was surprising.
Due to Dr. Sandhu’s factual and appropriate response, he became a target of the administration after my removal. At the fag end of his career, he was penalized based on a fabricated inquiry led by an officer willing to toe the administration’s line under Dr. Dulal Panda. Eventually, the High Court granted relief to Dr. Sandhu. Yet, in an institution of pharmaceutical sciences, even stating the truth in a scientific manner had become a punishable offense.
It was especially shameful that a Joint Secretary-level officer like Mr. Tingal and a former Director General of ICMR like Dr. V. M. Katoch were willing to entertain such baseless complaints and act on them—against me, no less. They ignored the fact that Mr. Waraich, the current Registrar of NIPER Mohali, had behaved indecently by taking photographs of the bungalow where the Director resided with his wife. This blatant violation of privacy and decorum was conveniently overlooked by these officials.
