NEW DELHI ,29 April 2026: A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking the removal of Uttar Pradesh IPS cadre officer Ajay Pal Sharma, who is currently posted as a police observer in West Bengal for the ongoing assembly elections. The petition filed by one Aditya Das alleged a lack of neutrality on the officer’s part and questioned his conduct during the election duty.
Referring to Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the petition stated that an observer is supposed to act as a “neutral institutional safeguard, whose presence is meant to reinforce public confidence in the conduct of elections.” It alleged that Sharma’s conduct “stands in stark violation of the functions of the observer.” The petition sought direction from the apex court to set aside his appointment and ensure that election observers remain neutral and impartial. The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.
Sharma came at the target of the ruling TMC party, a video went viral on social media showing him confronting TMC candidate Jehangir Khan’s goons. Sharma also sent out a notification to the Superintendent of Police demanding an explanation for the deployment of additional police personnel for the security of Khan. TMC took strong objection to Sharma’s conduct and accused the ECI of failing to take action against him. TMC leaders even tried to mock and defame Sharma by sharing fake videos about him.
Notably, a similar petition was filed against Sharma before the Calcutta High Court alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by him on April 28. However, the High Court refused to pass any orders before the polling is over.
Picture credit social media
