The first orchestra in India to perform nationally under the police banner and in uniform, and get international invites. A finalist on TV talent show Hunarbaaz — Desh Ki Shaan in 2022. The main act at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India in 2023. A long list of fans including Bollywood names such as Karan Johar and Twinkle Khanna.
Harmony of the Pines, as the orchestra of the Himachal Pradesh Police is called, has come a long way since it started 30 years ago as a small group of seven members, to “alleviate stress faced by the police force”. Now, in one of the rare discordant notes to strike the band, its in-charge and virtually its face, Inspector Vijay Kumar, has gone to court over his suspension on July 13, on charges of making money by monetizing his personal social media account, reportedly without disclosing the same to the police department.
Vijay, who belongs to Kangra and has been with the orchestra almost from the start, says the money at stake is just over Rs 6,000. The next hearing in the case is on July 31, with the High Court seeking the state government and DGP’s reply.
The development has come as a surprise in the state, where the last big performance by the orchestra was less than a month ago at the government-sponsored Narkanda Summer Festival in Shimla, and where it is a regular in the ongoing anti-drugs campaign. In the first week of June, the orchestra performed at Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi. In the last week of May, it received an award at the hands of Governor Kavinder Gupta.
The action against Kumar came after the department found that a written reply he had submitted on July 3 in reply to a show cause notice did not address the allegations against him.
The orchestra was a brainchild of former ADGP Bhupinder Singh Thind and was started in 1996, but got more professional 2019 onwards when a dedicated sub-cadre was formed for hiring people for it, says a DIG-rank officer. Now it has 17 members, including two women.
SP Bhupinder Singh Negi, Commandant, 1st Himachal Pradesh Armed Police Battalion (HPAP), Junga, said a committee of music experts and senior officials picks up the recruits, on the basis of their practical and theoretical knowledge of music.
Harmony of the Pines comes under the administrative jurisdiction of the Battalion, and is allocated a dedicated space at Bharari Police Lines in Shimla.
“Basic police training, weapon training etc is necessary for the personnel hired for the orchestra too. Their ranks, salaries are equivalent to the ranks of police officials on general duty,” Negi said. The orchestra’s personnel can be called in for duty in case of an emergency or for VVIP visits and to maintain law and order.
Its charges range from roughly Rs 30,000 for government and Rs 1 lakh for private functions in Himachal, to Rs 1.50 lakh and more outside the state. For police functions, the rates are lower. Revenue generated through official performances of the orchestra is to be deposited into the Police Welfare Fund.
The orchestra has around 329,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 18,000 subscribers on YouTube. Officials said the department spends lakhs of rupees on the upkeep and replacement of instruments.
The DIG quoted above said that while Vijay is not from the special cadre, having joined the police force as a Constable in 1998, “he was sent on deputation to the orchestra in the early 2000s due to his melodious voice and knowledge of musical instruments”.
Vijay faced action for failure to disclose the complete earnings through his social media accounts while publicising private musical activities. Allegedly, he could not show any permission showing he was allowed to make private music albums while being a member of the police force.
Vijay has submitted that he earned approximately Rs 6,794 for his monetized social media accounts and that he had deposited the same into the Police Welfare Fund. But the department found his reply unsatisfactory, and the probe found him “in violation of statutory and departmental provisions governing the conduct and discipline of police personnel”.
An officer said: “Orchestra members can perform in plainclothes also, but all performances are bound by strict regulations. No orchestra member is allowed to perform individually and commercially without the permission of the DGP.”
Incidentally, in June last year, the department turned down Kumar’s VRS application, saying it would hit both the orchestra and the police force. IGP, Armed Police & Training, Prem Kumar Thakur wrote: “Inspector Vijay Kumar possesses extensive experience, musical expertise, and exceptional leadership qualities that are pivotal for the training, coordination, and disciplined performance of the orchestra team. His continued presence is vital to ensure the operational readiness and professional standards of the orchestra. Any premature release of Inspector Vijay Kumar from service would result in a vacuum and may adversely impact the image and functioning of the department at official platforms.”
Vijay as well as the other orchestra members refused to comment on his suspension.
A file photo of Harmony of the Pines. Inspector Vijay Kumar is third from left in the seated row. 
The action against Kumar came after the department found that a written reply he had submitted on July 3 in reply to a show cause notice did not address the allegations against him.
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