Dharamshala MLA files criminal defamation case against Shimla SP

Dharamshala (HP), Jun 13 (PTI) Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma has filed a criminal defamation case against Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Gandhi, who is currently on leave.

The complaint was submitted to the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Dharamshala on Thursday.

The BJP MLA in his petition accused Gandhi of making baseless and defamatory statements during a press conference in Shimla on May 23.

Gandhi alleged in the press conference that Sharma was behind the defection of six Congress MLAs to the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls last year for personal political gain.

The SP had alleged that Sharma had emerged as a mastermind in horse trading in the MLA case.

Gandhi also reportedly accused Sharma of circulating a live-streamed clip of a Himachal Pradesh High Court hearing in which he was reprimanded in connection with the suicide of HPPCL chief engineer Vimal Negi.

Sharma contended that the video was officially live-streamed by the high court and denied any involvement in editing or misuse of the footage and described Gandhi's allegations as "false, reckless and unsupported by any evidence," stating they have damaged his reputation among constituents and political colleagues.

"There is no inquiry or case registered against me in this matter," Sharma emphasized, calling Gandhi's remarks defamatory and professionally irresponsible.

Sharma had earlier said that neither an FIR had been filed against him in the horse trading case nor was he summoned for questioning, but the SP referred to him as the "master mind" in the case.

The BJP MLA had also moved a privilege motion against the SP for making "derogatory, baseless and threatening" remarks against him. PTI COR BPL AS AS