‘Singham’ Cop Ajay Pal Sharma Accused of Threatening TMC Candidate in Bengal Poll Observer Role

Key facts

• Ajay Pal Sharma is a 2011-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer.
• A video purportedly shows Sharma threatening Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan and his family during election duty in West Bengal.
• Sharma first gained prominence in 2019 as Rampur police superintendent overseeing action against SP leader Azam Khan.
• Nearly 80 cases of land grab, theft, and encroachment were filed against Khan’s Jauhar University.
• TMC’s Kunal Ghosh demanded Sharma’s suspension, calling him a ‘mouse’.
• A PIL in the Supreme Court seeks removal of Sharma as election observer in West Bengal.
• The Calcutta High Court refused to take action against poll-duty officers until after the Bengal elections on Wednesday.
• Unverified videos of Sharma dancing with bar dancers resurfaced amid the controversy.

Viral Video Sparks Political Firestorm

A video that went viral on social media on Monday shows Ajay Pal Sharma, a senior Indian Police Service officer from Uttar Pradesh currently serving as a poll observer in West Bengal, allegedly threatening Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan and his family. The clip has ignited a fierce political row, with the TMC demanding Sharma’s immediate suspension and the BJP defending his actions as necessary to maintain order. Khan responded to the threat by referencing the Telugu action film ‘Pushpa’ and the Bollywood movie ‘Singham’, vowing not to allow “BJP-appointed” police officers to intimidate voters. BJP’s Amit Malviya shared the video on X, praising Sharma for “setting the tone” and “reading the riot act”. TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra, meanwhile, urged Sharma to be more cautious.

Legal Challenges Mount as Elections Conclude

On Tuesday, a lawyer verbally pleaded before the Calcutta High Court for an order restraining Sharma, arguing that he violated the Model Code of Conduct by threatening Khan and his family. However, the court declined to take action against any officer on poll duty until the West Bengal elections conclude on Wednesday, instead directing the lawyer to approach the Election Commission of India with any grievances. Separately, a public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court seeking Sharma’s removal as an election observer, accusing him of being “highly partisan and acting contrary to the role prescribed to him”. The legal challenges underscore the high stakes of the controversy, which has drawn national attention.

Sharma’s Rise: From Rampur to ‘Encounter Specialist’

Sharma first came into the national spotlight in the summer of 2019 as the superintendent of police in Rampur, where he oversaw action against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. Weeks after Khan won the Rampur Lok Sabha seat, he was labelled a “land mafia”. Nearly 80 cases of land grab, theft, and encroachment tied to Khan’s Jauhar University were filed, and bulldozers rolled in as raids became routine. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav called the crackdown outright political targeting and singled out Sharma. For his opponents, Sharma represented policing as a political vendetta; for his supporters, he embodied law enforcement without fear. His subsequent stints in Noida and other National Capital Region districts of Uttar Pradesh earned him an “encounter specialist” image, with dozens of alleged extra-judicial killings and anti-crime drives bringing both applause and scrutiny. Civil society groups questioned the legality of the “encounter culture”.

Past Controversies Resurface Amid Election Row

Unverified videos purportedly showing Sharma dancing with bar dancers, which had overshadowed his tenure as Prayagraj’s additional police commissioner, resurfaced after the alleged threat to TMC leader Khan. TMC’s Mahua Moitra posted the videos on X, saying good “to see you enjoying yourself”. Akhilesh Yadav cited Sharma’s past and questioned why he was sent to a non-BJP-ruled state during the polls. The resurfacing of these videos has added a personal dimension to the political battle, with critics using them to question Sharma’s fitness for the observer role. The TMC has seized on the controversy to accuse the Election Commission of bias, while the BJP has stood by Sharma, framing him as a no-nonsense officer.

TMC’s Kunal Ghosh Leads the Charge

On Sunday, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh launched a scathing attack on Sharma, demanding his suspension over the repolling in Falta. Ghosh called Sharma a “mouse”, a pointed jab at the officer’s ‘Singham’ nickname, which evokes the fearless police officer portrayed in Bollywood films. The demand for suspension has been echoed by other TMC leaders, who see Sharma as a symbol of BJP overreach in the state. Ghosh’s remarks reflect the deepening animosity between the TMC and the Election Commission’s police observers, whom the party accuses of partisan conduct. The controversy has become a flashpoint in the broader narrative of central-state tensions during the West Bengal elections.

What Comes Next: Election Commission Under Pressure

With the West Bengal elections concluded on Wednesday, the Election Commission now faces mounting pressure to address the allegations against Sharma. The Supreme Court petition and the Calcutta High Court’s referral to the EC mean that the poll body will have to decide whether to take disciplinary action against the IPS officer. The outcome will have implications beyond this single case, as it tests the EC’s ability to maintain neutrality in a highly polarized political environment. For Sharma, the controversy threatens to tarnish a career built on a reputation for toughness, while for the TMC, it provides ammunition to challenge the fairness of the electoral process.

A Polarizing Figure in a Divided Landscape

Ajay Pal Sharma embodies the deep divisions in Indian policing and politics. To his supporters, he is a decisive officer who takes on criminals and political strongmen without fear. To his detractors, he is a tool of political vendetta, whose methods blur the line between law enforcement and extra-judicial action. The current controversy, set against the backdrop of a fiercely contested election, has amplified these conflicting perceptions. As the Election Commission weighs its next steps, the case of Ajay Pal Sharma will remain a litmus test for the independence of election observers and the rule of law in India’s democracy.

The bottom line

• Ajay Pal Sharma, a UP cadre IPS officer, is accused of threatening a TMC candidate while serving as a poll observer in West Bengal.
• A viral video has triggered legal action, including a Supreme Court petition and a Calcutta High Court referral to the Election Commission.
• Sharma rose to prominence in 2019 for his crackdown on SP leader Azam Khan, earning both praise and accusations of political targeting.
• His ‘encounter specialist’ image and past controversies, including videos of him dancing with bar dancers, have resurfaced amid the row.
• The TMC has demanded his suspension, while the BJP has defended his actions, highlighting the partisan divide over his role.
• The Election Commission’s response will be a key test of its neutrality in a charged political environment.