IPS officer Rahul Sharma challenges charge sheet

In a move that could put Narendra Modi ruled state government in yet another legal tangle, IPS officer Rahul Sharma has filed a petition before the Central Administrative Tribunal challenging a charge sheet issued against him by the state government under Official Secret Act (OSA).

The petition will come up for hearing on September 15. A DIG rank officer, Sharma is currently undergoing two month training in Hyderabad.

Rahul Sharma was instrumental in exposing the role of ministers, politicians, police officers and bureaucrats in the 2002 communal riots. Sharma had prepared mobile call data CDs from February 29 to March 2 and submitted it before the Nanavati commission and UC Banerjee commission.

On August 13, the state government issued a chargesheet against Sharma for not submitting CDs to higher officials, and providing information to Nanavati commission without permission of the state government.

Sources connected to the development said that, Sharma has now decided to approach CAT against the chargesheet issued against him. “Sharma has challenged the chargesheet by saying that it is not tenable as he helped the commission appointed by the government to get to the truth behind the most heinous communal riots in the state. He also reiterated his stand that he did send the CDs through messenger of crime branch to PP Pandey, then chief of crime branch,” sources said.

Last month, Shrama had filed a petition before the Gujarat high court seeking certain documents related to a show cause notice issued to him. Sharma contended that the state government was not providing him the documents, which would enable him to reply to the show cause notice.

However the high court had dismissed his petition. “After that the only option left for Sharma was to challenge the government the chargesheet before the Central Administrative Tribunal,” said sources.