The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretariat has sought a fresh written statement from IPS officer Ilma Afroz, currently serving as Superintendent of Police, Lahaul & Spiti, in connection with an ongoing inquiry into an alleged breach of privilege involving Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary.
Nearly three months after Director General of Police Atul Verma submitted a probe report into the matter, the Secretariat has now approached the office of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Onkar Chand Sharma to obtain a revised response from the 2018-batch officer. Sources said the Secretariat found discrepancies in Afroz’s earlier recorded statement during the police investigation and requested a properly documented version to meet procedural standards.
“The DGP’s report was submitted on January 25. However, Afroz’s statement, as recorded, did not meet the formal inquiry requirements,” a senior Vidhan Sabha official told The Indian Express. “We have asked the ACS to facilitate a proper written statement, as the Secretariat does not communicate directly with officers.”
The controversy dates back to September 2024, when Congress MLA from Doon, Ram Kumar Chaudhary, lodged a complaint with the Vidhan Sabha’s privilege committee alleging that then-SP of Baddi, Ilma Afroz, had attempted to infringe on his privacy. The committee directed an inquiry, which was led by DIG Abhishek Dullar and submitted to the Secretariat in January.
Afroz, who had gone on a 15-day earned leave starting November 7, 2023 – allegedly due to tensions with the MLA – was later replaced by HPPS officer Vinod Kumar Dhiman. MLA Chaudhary, however, denied involvement in her leave.
Meanwhile, a local resident, Sucha Ram, filed a PIL in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, seeking Afroz’s reinstatement in Baddi. The plea claimed she was pressured into leave and praised her work in cracking down on illegal mining and the drug trade in the BBND area. The High Court dismissed the PIL on March 4.
