A friend of the police officer found dead at the foot of an HDB block in Yishun has spoken out.
In a lengthy Facebook post, he paid tribute to his former colleague who served in the same police division. Notably, he was also a senior paracounsellor with the division whom the late police officer spoke to on many occasions.
The friend praised the late police officer for his dedication towards crime-fighting.
However, he also detailed the struggles and anxieties his comrade went through in the months leading up to his passing.
In his post, a man named Raj Naga paid tribute to the late Mr Uvaraja S/O Gopal.
Mr Raj shared that Mr Uvaraja had sent him a voice message that was four minutes long before his passing.
However, Mr Raj did not get around to listening to it immediately as he was out with his family.
That night, when Mr Raj listened to Mr Uvaraja’s voice message in full, he said he could hear the despair and anguish in his friend’s voice as he recounted his experiences.
Mr Raj expressed regret about not getting to Mr Uvaraja’s message sooner, saying, “I will forever bear the cross for not calling him back immediately.”
“At the end of the message, he bade me farewell and asked me to tell the truth about what he had faced,” Mr Raj added.
Mr Raj then went on to detail what he knew about Mr Uvaraja.
He commended Mr Uvaraja for his passion towards crime-fighting and his sense of duty.
He also shared that “[Mr Uvaraja] was very clear that his calling as a Police Officer was to serve the public, and not about pleasing his superiors.”
Mr Raj then disclaimed that what he was about to say was what he knew to be true based on his interactions with the deceased and as senior paracounsellor in their police division.
Mr Raj said he met Mr Uvaraja in 2007 when the latter was serving his National Service as a patrol officer.
That was when Mr Uvaraja was apparently inspired to sign on as a regular. He was influenced by “legends” who influenced the deceased for their “crime-busting skills”.
Mr Uvaraja became a regular in 2012 after spending some time attaining the qualifications needed.
Source: Facebook
He then spent a couple of years as a plainclothes police officer before becoming a patrol officer in 2015.
In December that year, Mr Uvaraja approached Mr Raj for assistance.
He shared that Mr Uvaraja was having difficulties at work, which led to anxiety attacks and trouble sleeping.
The late officer was also caring for his mother, who was recovering from a head injury at the time.
Allegedly, Mr Uvaraja had argued with his team leader over a racial slur. Although he reported it to his commanding officer, other teammates purportedly did not support his claim. As a result, nothing came out of the report.
On top of work pressures and caring for his ill mother, Mr Uvaraja also underwent two surgeries.
The post also alleged that Mr Uvaraja had been called back by his commanding officer while on medical leave. Mr Uvaraja purportedly had the validity of his condition questioned and was shouted at to resign.
Source: Facebook
“This incident stressed him, leading to an investigation against the [commanding officer].”
When Mr Uvaraja tried to transfer to a different division, he was reportedly turned down due to a low-performance grade.
During that time, he also took repeated medical and no-pay leave until April 2016 because of his continued medical troubles.
The police force’s Internal Affairs Office allegedly investigated him for not staying indoors during medical leave. However, according to Mr Raj, Mr Uvaraja was actually on no-pay leave and no action was taken.
All that worsened Mr Uvaraja’s morale and sleep issues, said Mr Raj.
I struggle to relive the bitter memories and the sheer abuse of authority he faced. It is a testament to Raja’s strong resolve and mental fortitude that he endured the prolonged surveillance throughout his recovery from his surgeries.
Mr Uvaraja remembered Mr Raj telling him that his motivation to keep going was to take care of his wheelchair-bound mother.
Mr Raj ended his post praising Mr Uvaraja. The former said that Mr Uvaraja embodied the police ideology of C.L.I.F for as long as he could.
Source: Facebook
Mr Raj elaborated, “He showed courage in the face of discrimination. He was unwaveringly loyal to the force. His integrity never faltered even when he was shamed, and his fairness towards his fellow officer was not reciprocated.”
He bade his friend farewell and concluded, “See you at the end of the shift.”
Mr Uvaraja was found lying motionless at the foot of an HDB block in Yishun on Friday (21 July). He was 36 years old when he passed.
It is to note that Mr Uvaraja had tagged Mr Raj in his final Facebook post before his passing.
Source: Facebook
Although the original post no longer exists, screenshots of it have made its way around social media.
Seemingly, the former had told the latter to tell the truth about what he knew.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said the police force had been instructed to investigate this matter thoroughly.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Facebook.
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