Shimla SP files petition in Himachal HC seeking action against BJP's Sudhir Sharma; MLA serves legal notice

Shimla: Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi on Saturday filed a petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court seeking action against BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma for circulating a video clip of the court proceedings without permission.

Sharma, in response, served a legal notice to the senior police official.

"I have filed a petition in the court against sitting BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, for selectively live streaming the high court proceedings which is contempt of proceedings and violation of Copyright and Information Act," Gandhi told reporters here.

The video circulated online shows courtroom remarks against Gandhi during a hearing of petition seeking a CBI probe into the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) chief engineer Vimal Negi earlier on Wednesday.

The SP alleged that Sharma had emerged as a mastermind in the alleged "horse trading" of the MLAs during the Rajya Sabha elections held in February last year and has maliciously portrayed him in a bad light and tarnished his image.

Sharma, on the other hand, served a legal notice to the SP maintaining that the clip was not fabricated and live streaming of the proceedings has been allowed by the court itself and demanded withdrawal of "irresponsible and unsubstantiated" statements made by him.

"Neither my name figures in the FIR nor I have been called for investigation in the case related to the Rajya Sabha elections and the SP has made me the main accused in the media," said the BJP MLA and asked why a chargesheet has not been filed against him if he was an accused.

The police had registered an FIR against the then Independent MLA Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) and Rakesh Sharma, the father of former Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma, and others for "electoral offences", bribery and criminal conspiracy on April 5, 2024.

Six Congress rebels and three Independent MLAs had voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections.