The Himachal Pradesh government has clarified to the High Court that the transfer of 2018-batch IPS officer Ms. Ilma Afroz from her position as Superintendent of Police (SP), Baddi, was made at her own request. This statement was submitted by the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) in response to a division bench led by Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Satyan Vaidya.
The court, however, raised concerns regarding a previous order issued in a criminal writ petition, which stipulated that Ms. Afroz could not be transferred without the court’s approval. The bench directed the government to provide all relevant documents pertaining to the transfer and scheduled the next hearing for January 9.
The transfer has sparked controversy, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Sucha Ram seeking Ms. Afroz’s reinstatement as SP Baddi. The petitioner cited a September 9 court order requiring judicial consent for any transfer and noted that local residents had appealed to the Chief Minister on November 26 to reverse the decision, but no action was taken.
Ms. Afroz went on earned leave from November 7 to November 21 amid alleged tensions with Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary. During her absence, she was replaced on November 14 by Himachal Pradesh Police Service officer Vinod Kumar Dhiman. Upon returning to duty on December 17, Ms. Afroz was reassigned to the state police headquarters without a new field posting.
The PIL alleges that Ms. Afroz was pressured into taking leave and that her transfer has led to a decline in law and order in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development area. The petitioner highlighted her efforts to combat illegal mining, drug-related crimes, and organized criminal activities during her tenure.
The petition also alleges that illegal mining operations, including 43 crusher units owned by politicians and MLAs near the Punjab and Haryana borders, resumed unchecked after her transfer. It further references a privilege motion filed by MLA Chaudhary in September, accusing Ms. Afroz of privacy violations following an incident where a truck from his firm was penalized for illegal mining.
Ms. Afroz, a Rhodes Scholar and Oxford University graduate, has earned recognition for her strict enforcement against illegal activities. The court will now examine the documents and circumstances surrounding her transfer to determine whether due process was followed.
