Himachal IPS officer Ilma Afroz (IPS:2018:HP), whose long leave as Baddi SP invited national media glare by triggering a political storm in the state, is now back into action. She rejoined her duty today morning, and is said to have already reported at the Police Headquarters in Shimla.
Ilma Afroz had proceeded on leave after a dispute with ruling Congress MLA Ram Kumar Choudhary in August. The controversy erupted after Ilma Afroz, as Baddi SP, issued a challan against a vehicle owned by the MLA’s wife for alleged illegal mining.
The woman officer was later asked to proceed on a 15-day leave understandably for issuing challans against Choudhary’s vehicles. Chaudhary is allegedly involved in illegal mining.
The clash of ego between the two is said to have started when the Baddi SP did not attend the August 15 event leading the MLA abstaining from an event at the SP’s office. Piqued MLA later levelled serious allegations against Afroz and went on to file a privilege motion notice in the Assembly.
The situation worsened after a firing incident in Baddi recently on which a scrap trader, Ramkishan, was allegedly targeted. As Ramkishan happens to be a close aide of a senior Congress leader, political pressure was mounted on Afroz to cover up the case. But resolute Afroz refused to give in and invited the punishment and proceeded on long leave.
She was on 42-day leave; her return comes two days before her sanctioned leave was set to end on December 18. She is, now, expected to formally resume her role as the Baddi SP within a couple of days.
