Case Against Businessman For Allegedly Defaming Himachal Top Cop: Police

The Himachal Pradesh Police have slapped a case against a businessman for allegedly defaming the director general of police. The businessman, on his part, has sent a legal notice to the police seeking the registration of a case against the DGP and cited threat to his family and property.

In his complaint, DGP Sanjay Kundu maintained that hotelier Nishant Sharma, a resident of Palampur, had on October 29 sent a letter on his official email, with copies to other officials, in which he made false allegations with intentions to harm his reputation and tarnish his image.

A case under sections 211 (false charge of offence made with intent to injure), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 499 (defamation) and 500 of the IPC was registered against the businessman.

Mr Sharma, in his complaint to the Shimla superintendent of police, had alleged threat to him, his family members and property from his partners and cited an incident of "brutal attack" on him in Gurugram on August 25 saying two influential persons of Himachal Pradesh, including a former IPS officer, were identified in the CCTV camera footage related to the incident.

"I came to Palampur in Kangra district after the attack but the DGP called me up from his official number and forced me to come to Shimla and on the same day two criminals stop me at Mcleodganj in Dharamshala and threaten to harm my two-and-half-year old kid and wife," he alleged.

"I drove to the house of the Superintendent of Police, Kangra at Dharamshala and narrated the plight to her and gave her my complaint but nothing has been done so far," he claimed.

Mr Sharma, who addressed the media in Palampur on Monday, said he was dismayed to learn that a false and manufactured case had been registered against him.

"I demand an independent and unbiased investigation and lodging of an FIR against everyone, including the DGP. This is the only way you would be able to apprehend this whole gang of extortionists," he said.

When contacted, the DGP told PTI that he had filed a criminal complaint against Mr Sharma and would also file a civil suit of defamation against him.

Calls were made to him from the police headquarters as there were apprehensions that something nefarious was going on and "we do not want any gang war in Himachal," the police chief said.

The Gurugram police have not found any cognizable offence in the complaint regarding the attack on the businessman, he said and added that Sharma moves around with a security cover and has at times claimed that they are sleuths of Haryana Police.

The DGP also claimed that the businessman has levelled false allegations against him and several other renowned people.

When contacted, Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI a notice has been received and added the case is sensitive and all aspects of the complaint are being verified.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)