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Illegal mining row in Himachal: FIR against stone crusher owned by BJP MLA Ashish Sharma

The Himachal Pradesh Police registered a case against the stone crusher owned by BJP MLA Ashish Sharma for alleged illegal mining, forgery, cheating, and royalty evasion dating back to 2023.

3 min readShimlaUpdated: Dec 9, 2025 10:00 PM IST

MLA Ashish Sharma termed the FIR against him as a political vendetta

The Himachal Pradesh Police Tuesday said they filed an FIR against a stone crusher unit owned by BJP MLA Ashish Sharma in the Hamirpur district for alleged large-scale illegal mining, forgery, cheating and royalty evasion dating back to 2023.

The FIR was lodged at the Sujanpur police station following a confidential report submitted to the superintendent of police, Hamirpur, on September 9, highlighting suspected illegal extraction and misuse of government-mandated mineral transportation documents by Sharma’s Mahadevi Stone Crusher. Sources said the stone crusher unit at Ree has remained non-operational since February 2024.

“Acting on the report, the police initiated an inquiry into the functioning of the crusher, which was registered in 2022 in the name of Ashish Sharma, who is now the BJP MLA from the Hamirpur Assembly constituency,” said Balbir Singh, Superintendent of Police, Hamirpur.

“During the inquiry, investigators scrutinised lease deeds, royalty receipts, electricity consumption records and the mandatory ‘W’ and ‘X’ form registers that document mineral movement,” he said.

Sources said officials found serious discrepancies suggesting deliberate record manipulation to facilitate illegal extraction. According to the police, the firm allegedly misused ‘W Forms’, which are strictly meant for transporting minerals from the lease site to the stone crusher, for direct commercial sale outside the plant. This irregularity reportedly allowed the illegal transportation of 28,180 metric tonnes of material.

Further checks revealed that between August and December 2022, the crusher unit operated without depositing the mandatory royalty with the Mining Department, during which it is estimated to have produced 17,572 metric tonnes of mineral. In total, the illegal extraction has been assessed at 45,752 metric tonnes, causing an estimated loss of Rs 36.60 lakh to the state exchequer.

The FIR was registered under sections 379 (theft), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police officers said the investigation is progressing and will focus on identifying individual responsibility, lapses by officials, and any collusion that may have enabled the violations. They added that further action will be taken based on the findings.

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Sharma termed the FIR against him as a political vendetta.”The stone crusher has been non-operational for a long time. The FIR was registered under different sections of the IPC, while the alleged offences against me relate to mining, which is covered by the Mining Act. The state government is indulging in vendetta politics,” said Sharma, who has obtained an interim bail from a local court

Ashish Sharma among Independent MLAs who joined BJP

Sharma entered politics as an Independent MLA from Hamirpur, winning the 2022 Assembly election. Later, he resigned in March 2024 along with two other Independent MLAs, Hoshyar Singh Chambyal of Dehra and KL Thakur of Nalagarh. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania accepted their resignations in June 2024.

Sharma and the other two joined the BJP and contested the bypolls on BJP tickets in July 2024. Only Sharma won the bypolls, defeating the Congress candidate Pushpinder Verma by a margin of 12,899 votes.

Saurabh Parashar

Saurabh Parashar is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, primarily responsible for the publication’s coverage of Himachal Pradesh. He is a seasoned journalist with over 17 years of experience in print media, specializing in crime, legal affairs, and investigative reporting. Professional Background Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology (Hisar) and a Law degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. This legal background significantly informs his reporting on complex judicial and administrative matters. Career Path: Before joining The Indian Express in 2017, he spent 12 years with The Times of India. Core Beats: His primary focus is the socio-political landscape of the hill state, with a specific emphasis on the environment, forest conservation, drug menace (specifically "Chitta"), affairs related to tribal and archaeology and the unique challenges of governance in high-altitude regions. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His recent reporting highlights the critical intersection of policy, law, and social safety in Himachal Pradesh: 1. "Himachal’s battle against Chitta: Why the border areas are most vulnerable" (Late 2025): An investigative look at the transit routes from Punjab and the impact on local youth. 2. "Shimla ropeway clears key hurdle as 820 trees face the axe :According to the Forest Survey of India’s 2021 assessment, 47.21 percent of Shimla’s 5,131 sq km geographical area is under forest cover (Nov 17, 2025). 3. "Himachal to handover 2.7427 ha of non-forest land for Shimla Ropeway: Given the land’s non-forest nature, RTDC and the state will not require permission from MoEFCC" (Nov 18, 2025) 4. "How the centuries-old Jodidara tradition is fading in Himachal’s Trans-Giri region: Jodidara: a form of fraternal polyandry—has long been part of Hatti tribal culture in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining Uttarakhand. It is believed to have evolved to prevent division of ancestral land and maintain unity among brothers in the harsh, mountainous terrain" (Aug 18, 2025) Legal & Agricultural Affairs "Kisan Sabha hails SC’s setting aside Himachal HC order to remove orchards from forest land" (Dec 18, 2025): Covering a major Supreme Court victory for farmers, where a High Court order to remove fruit-bearing apple orchards was overturned. "Himachal Cabinet nod to new tourism policy; focus on home-stays in tribal areas" (Dec 11, 2025): Detailing the legislative push to decentralize tourism and bring economic benefits to Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. 3. Governance & Environment "Forest rights and development: Why Himachal is seeking more leeway from Centre" (Dec 19, 2025): Reporting on the legal hurdles faced by the state in infrastructure projects due to the Forest Conservation Act. "Cloudbursts and resilience: How Himachal’s remote villages are building back better" (Nov 2025): Following up on the long-term rehabilitation efforts after monsoon-related disasters. Crime especially cyber crimes, crypto currency etc: crypto currency: "Agents in uniform, motivational speeches, lavish parties: How a Himachal crypto con went unnoticed:A serial conman, a ‘Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Award winner', and retired policemen got together to pull off a Rs 1,740-crore fraud" (Nov 10, 2023) Signature Beats Saurabh is recognized for his tenacious reporting on the state's drug epidemic. His deep familiarity with the topography and tribal culture of Himachal allows him to report from remote locations like Spiti, Pangi, Shillai, which are often overlooked by national media. His legal expertise makes him a primary choice for covering the Himachal Pradesh High Court on issues ranging from local body elections to environmental PILs. X (Twitter): @saurabh_prashar . ... Read More

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