The Virdi Inquiry to take evidence from Sgt Gurpal Virdi

37/04
18 May 2004

The Virdi Inquiry, set up by the Metropolitan Police Authority to look into the case of Sgt Gurpal Virdi who was sacked by the Met and then reinstated following an employment tribunal hearing, will sit again in closed session on Wednesday (19 May) to take oral evidence from Sgt Virdi.

The Virdi Inquiry published its report and recommendations in January 2002 after examining the Met’s case against Sgt Virdi and the Employment Tribunal findings in relation to the Met’s Discipline Board. Sgt Virdi did not give evidence to the inquiry at the time, but recommendation 14 of the report made provision for this to take place once matters between Sgt Virdi and the MPS were concluded. He has since been reinstated and has returned to work.

The Inquiry’s remit was to make recommendations to the MPA in respect of lessons learned in this case, not to re-investigate events. Established under Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Inquiry had no direct powers and therefore contributions to the Inquiry were made entirely voluntarily. It was also not within the terms of reference to examine the conduct of the Discipline Board or that of the Employment Tribunal.

MPA member David Muir, inquiry chair, said:

“We are very pleased to be able to take evidence from Sgt Virdi so that we can finally have his version of events leading up to his original discipline board when he faced allegations that he had sent racist emails to colleagues via his computer.

“The employment tribunal exonerated him, with the result that the Met issued an apology and reinstated him to his former rank.

“Once we have studied the new information, we will write a supplementary report which could have further recommendations for the Met if we feel there are more lessons to be learnt and we can make internal disciplinary procedures even more transparent and fair.

“We will take the opportunity to review progress made on the original set of recommendations, and how the Met has implemented them. We will also be looking with interest at the report of the Morris Inquiry into the Met’s internal disciplinary procedures when it is published later this year.”

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