State reads the riot act: DIG Sharma hurt 2002 probe

Sharma,a 1992-batch IPS officer now posted as DIG (arms unit) in Rajkot,was served the chargesheet on Saturday morning,state government spokesperson and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas confirmed.

Yesterday,the Gujarat High Court had rejected Sharma’s petition challenging the state government’s refusal to give him grounds for a showcause notice served to him.

The chargesheet comes a day after the period he was given to reply to the showcause notice ended.

He was first served the notice on January 27 and later on July 28 in which he was accused of gross misconduct under Section 3(1) of the All Indian Service Rules,1969.

G C Murmu,the additional principal secretary to the chief minister,clarified that Sharma had not been “chargesheeted” for violation of the Official Secrets Act and that he has not been suspended. The state government had earlier clarified that Sharma was not being penalised for deposing before riots probe panels.

As deputy commissioner of police (control room) in Ahmedabad between March 24,2002,and July 3,2002,Sharma was asked to assist in the investigation into the rioting and killings at Naroda Gam,Naroda Patiya and Gulberg Society.

During the investigation,Sharma procured calls details of ministers,police officers,bureaucrats as well as of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists during the 2002 riots and prepared a CD.

While the state government alleges that Sharma,after being transferred from the control room,did not return the original CD to his supervisory officer,the DIG,in a petition in the high court,had claimed he had returned the CD to the then joint commissioner of police with Detection of Crime Branch,P P Pandey,through a messenger.

After DIG Sanjiv Bhatt,who was suspended last week,Sharma is the second IPS officer to face state government action.

Sharma was posted as Bhavnagar SP when post-Godhra riots broke out. The CD he had prepared had led to some high-profile arrests,including that of BJP MLA Dr Maya Kodnani,who was considered close to CM Narendra Modi.

Later,Sharma was posted with the CBI in Delhi before returning to Gujarat.

The chargesheet

*As DCP (control) in Ahmedabad City during March 24-July 3,2002,Sharma was not the investigating officer or the direct supervisory officer for the offences for which the call records were procured from cellphone service providers

*Sharma did not list CDs of call details as case property

*Sharma did not hand over the CDs to supervisory officer or the investigating officers

*Sharma did not inform the court about the procurement of CDs and unlawfully kept the same with him

*Sharma harmed the riots investigation by not submitting the CDs