Did Himachal Congress MLA become a problem for Muslim woman police captain?

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition seeking reinstatement of IPS officer Ilma Afroz. The petition claimed that Afroz was pressured to take leave and her transfer caused law and order problems. The court also lifted the stay on Afroz's transfer. This transfer took place after differences with Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary.

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The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition seeking reinstatement of IPS officer Ilma Afroz as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Baddi in Solan district of the state. A bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja has dismissed the petition.

The petition was filed by Suchha Ram, a farmer of Dholowal village, who claimed that when Afroz was the Baddi SP, she was pressured to take leave and that after her transfer, the law and order situation in the area had deteriorated. The division bench also lifted the stay on Afroz's transfer.

Differences with Congress MLA

Ilma Afroz, a 2018 batch IPS officer, is currently posted at the state police headquarters in Shimla. When Afroz was the SP of Baddi, she went on a 15-day leave. She took this decision due to differences with Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary. However, Chaudhary has denied any involvement in the sanctioned leave of the officer.

Himachal Pradesh Police Service (HPPS) officer Vinod Kumar Dhiman was given charge as Baddi SP on November 14. Ram Choudhary said in his PIL that when Afroz was the Baddi SP, she had taken strict action against illegal mining, drug trafficking, and organised crime in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development (BBND) area.

What did the MLA allege?

In his PIL filed through advocate RL Chaudhary on December 22, Ram alleged that illegal activities were being conducted unchecked by mining mafias before Afroz's posting. He alleged that 43 mining crusher units run by local politicians, MLAs, and others were active in Solan district near the Punjab-Haryana border. The petition accused the local police of colluding with these mafias and ignoring the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the High Court.

The petitioner said that the court had directed the Home Secretary and the DGP to file their reply by January 4, 2025. He also cited the High Court order of September 9, which directed that SP Baddi should not be transferred without the permission of the court.