High Court quashes proceedings against Kuldip Sharma

Justice JB Pardiwala of Gujarat high court, on Friday quashed proceedings against IPS officer Kuldip Sharma in connection with criminal case initiated against him by a court in Anand.

"The court has quashed the proceedings by observing that 'reading the complaint by face of it, there is no offence made out of it'. Therefore, the court, has accepted our submission against the proceedings," said IH Syed, counsel for Sharma. "We had also opposed state government's sanction in this case after a gap of 14 years," he said.

Kuldip Sharma, a senior IPS officer who is not on good terms with the state government, is on deputation with the Central government. A court in Anand had issued summons against Sharma by order to register an offence against him in April 2011. 

The offence has been registered following a complaint by Kirit Brahmbhatt, a retired DySP, regarding an incident that took place with him in 2001 when he was working under Sharma.

According to case details, when Brahmbhatt was posted in Anand in 1998, a complaint of criminal intimidation and corruption was lodged against him. The police then closed the case against him by submitting a summary report in the court.

Though, the court had accepted the closing report against Brahmbhatt which was not challenged, Sharma, as a superior officer with CID (Crime), ordered further investigation of the case against Brahmbhatt in 2001.

Sharma's action was challenged by former cop before the Gujarat high court. When the petition was pending before the high court, Sharma sent a team of police officers to arrest Brahmbhatt at his residence in Anand.