On the night of February 10, 2025, the Indian Police Service fraternity lost one of its finest officers, Sri Ajay Raj Sharma, a 1966 batch UP cadre officer. He could not recover from the ICU of a Noida hospital, where he had been hospitalized around ten days earlier. Even on the day of his hospitalization, he played golf, visited Khan Market in Delhi, but felt uneasy after returning home. Diagnosed with a lung infection, he lost consciousness and never regained it. Despite undergoing knee surgery in the recent past, he made every effort to remain active. He had gained weight due to steroids administered in his early years to treat injuries, but that never became a handicap to his ability and sportsmanship. He was an avid player of football, hockey, tennis, cricket, and golf. Most of the time, he led the IPS cricket team of UP to victory in friendly matches against the IAS team during service weeks. In his later years, he fully focused on golf. Despite being from the UP cadre, he was the first and only IPS officer to serve as the Commissioner of Delhi Police—an honor that reflected his outstanding capabilities and leadership.
Some individuals are born for a particular calling, and he was one of them. He cleared the IPS in his first attempt, never considered changing his service, and remained a true cop from the first day until the very end. He began his career handling anti-dacoity operations as a young SP and DIG, mostly along the UP-MP-Rajasthan border, in the rugged badlands known as “Beehad.” He later joined the CRPF for internal security duties before returning to UP for law and order responsibilities. He was always chosen for the toughest assignments. When crime patterns in UP changed, he led from the front to tackle organized crime, playing a key role in establishing the UP STF. Later, he was selected to head the Delhi Police—an honor for any officer, especially from another cadre—where he made a significant impact on policing in the national capital. He retired as the Director General of the BSF, where he oversaw high-risk counter-terrorist operations and the security of the LoC and international borders.
Being from the UP cadre, I had the first opportunity to work as his staff officer (AIG) when he was ADG/PAC. My tenure was short, as I was transferred as SSP Ghaziabad within a month, but those few weeks created a bond that lasted a lifetime. Shortly after, when I became SSP and he was ADG Law & Order of UP, the entire state was gripped by terror due to the rise of a notorious gangster, Sri Prakash Shukla (SPS). Many officers posted in his area of operation, like Gorakhpur and Lucknow, lost their jobs due to the brutal and sensational nature of his crimes. SPS made it a point to call VIPs, media figures, and police officers, proving he was no ordinary criminal.
During my tenure as SSP Lucknow, our daily discussions with Sri Sharma and other officers led us to realize that handling SPS through conventional policing methods was ineffective. We began planning a dedicated unit to tackle organized crime, with an immediate focus on neutralizing SPS.
One evening, I received a call from the Chief Minister’s office, informing me of my transfer to SSP Varanasi. A mafia-turned-politician had exerted enough pressure to get me shifted. I requested the CM’s office to allow me instead to work on establishing the UP STF and go all out against the SPS gang. They were considerate enough to listen, and soon after, my posting order for SSP STF was issued. The rest is history. The formation of the STF, the encounter of SPS, and the establishment of a professional force have been covered in books, a mainstream Bollywood movie, several OTT series, and the story continues to be revisited.
Sri Ajay Raj Sharma documented his experiences in his book Biting the Bullet: Memoirs of a Police Officer. While writing the chapter on UP STF, we spent several sessions together, reminiscing about those days. Recalling incidents after so many years was a delight—while I had my perspective as the operational head (SSP), he had his as the supervisory officer, liaising with the DG and CM’s office. Our exchange of notes made me appreciate his viewpoint even more, especially after I later served as ADG Law & Order UP myself. He was an exceptional professional and a true operations man. His strategies were so precise that they left everyone in awe.
He earned the trust of all sections of society and was equally respected by all political formations in the then politically volatile UP. He cared deeply for his subordinates, much like a turtle protecting its eggs from the other side of a river. He was aware of the personal and family issues of his staff, always staying connected even after retirement. The overwhelming turnout at his funeral, from officers across all walks of life, was a testament to his popularity and impact.
He was a true foodie. As his staff officer, I was as concerned about whether snacks would include lemon tarts as I was about the agenda of a meeting. In the middle of serious discussions, he would suddenly ask where one could find the best quality mutton in Delhi. Often, we realized that such questions were either meant to lighten the atmosphere or subtly change the subject. He was also a great storyteller, and it was always a pleasure to hear about his anti-dacoity operations in Beehad over a glass of whiskey. His golfing buddies, too, enjoyed his tales after every good shot.
He was unique. He was different. He represented a breed of police officers who wore the uniform like their own skin and never tolerated even the slightest blemish on it. His legacy will be remembered for many years to come.
(This article is written by former IPS officer Mr. Arun Kumar. He is a 1985 batch IPS officer, who laid the foundation of UP STF in 1998 and has served as the Director General of RPF. After retirement, he has been appointed as the Vice Chairman of the International Union of Railways (UIC) Security Platform.)
