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Petition filed in Supreme Court for ‘urgent' removal of IPS Ajay Pal Sharma from Bengal over ‘partisan conduct’
‘Encounter’ specialist' IPS Ajay Pal Sharma has been deployed as police observer for poll-bound Bengal's South 24 Parganas district by the Election Commission.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court for ‘urgent’ removal of IPS Ajay Pal Sharma as police observer from poll-bound Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, HT has learnt. The petition terms Sharma as ‘highly partisan and acting contrary to the role prescribed to him.’
The petition, seen by HT, alleged that Sharma upon assuming his charge as the police observer “engaged in acts of intimidation, undue influence, and partisan conduct, including threats directed at political candidates”.
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Sharma's role in several key security operations during his postings across Uttar Pradesh earned him the reputation of “encounter specialist”.
Sharma's deployment by the Election Commission kicked up another big row between the incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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While the BJP and the ECI said that Sharma has been deployed to ensure “free and fair voting” in the state, the Trinamool Congress and also Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the BJP is trying to tilt the vote in their favour by "deploying agents" to intimidate voters.
Chaos in South 24 Parganas
TMC supporters held a protest in South 24 Parganas district's Falta on Tuesday as they accused Sharma of "intimidating" party workers and leaders ahead of the second phase of polling in West Bengal.
Senior TMC leaders and ministers alleged that the IPS officer was overstepping his role.
The 2011-batch IPS officer faced protests from TMC supporters, who raised 'Jai Bangla' in front of the residence as well as the election office of local TMC candidate Jahangir Khan, officials said, PTI reported.
A poll panel official said Sharma visited the area after the Election Commission received reports that Khan's men were allegedly collecting voter identity cards from people in the constituency and threatening them.
During the visit, the IPS officer, who has earned the moniker 'Singham' (daredevil) in Uttar Pradesh, said that he would not allow the candidate or his associates to intimidate the voters.
Officials said Sharma is among the 95 observers deployed by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polling in the second phase.
Eyewitnesses said that Sharma had visited the TMC candidate's house late on Monday night and said that the authorities would take "firm and immediate steps" if there were reports of voter intimidation.
