Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Secretariat has formally referred a privilege breach complaint filed by Congress MLA Ram Kumar against 2018 batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, Ms Ilma Afroz to the Privilege Committee of the Assembly for further examination.
The complaint pertains to the time when IPS Afroz was serving as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Baddi. MLA Ram Kumar had alleged that Afroz spied on him, which he termed a breach of an elected MLA’s privilege – a serious charge under legislative protocols.
Assembly Secretariat Acts After Home Department’s Response
The Secretariat took the decision after receiving a formal response from the State Home Department, which had earlier been tasked with looking into the matter. The Home Department had in turn directed the State Police Headquarters to investigate the issue and submit its findings.
Although the Police Headquarters sent its report directly to the Assembly Secretariat, procedural norms required that it be routed through the Administrative Secretary – i.e., the Home Secretary – instead of the Director General of Police (DGP). This step was necessary for the Assembly Secretariat to legally take cognizance of the reply.
Subsequently, the Home Department forwarded both the reply from Ilma Afroz and the investigation report to the Secretariat. After reviewing the documents, the Secretariat referred the matter to the Privilege Committee of the Legislative Assembly for formal hearings and recommendations.
The Allegation: Accusation of Spying and Breach of MLA Privilege
The controversy dates back to Afroz’s tenure as SP Baddi. MLA Ram Kumar alleged that his movements were being monitored without cause, amounting to an act of unauthorized surveillance and a breach of legislative privilege.
The complaint, once submitted to the Assembly Secretariat, triggered a chain of administrative procedures. Then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Omkar Sharma sought a report from the DGP, which initiated the internal probe.
Ilma Afroz, a 2009-batch IPS officer, is currently posted as SP Lahaul-Spiti.
Next Steps with Privilege Committee
Now that the case has been placed before the Privilege Committee, it is expected that the panel will hear both parties – the MLA and the officer – before arriving at a decision. If found guilty of breaching privilege, the Assembly may recommend penal or administrative action, depending on the committee’s findings.
This case has stirred attention in political and administrative circles, as privilege breach complaints involving IPS officers are rare and often politically sensitive.
