Baddi SP’s leave extended till Dec 5

The Himachal Pradesh police has again extended the leave of Superintendent of Police (SP) Baddi Ilma Afroz till December 5. Afroz, who is on leave since November 7, was expected to join her duties as SP Baddi on November 29 as the police department had granted her one-week leave extension last week after her sanctioned 15-day earned leave time period was over. However, her leave has again been extended by a week.

Earlier, it was being said that she went to leave over issuing challans against vehicles owned by the family member of an MLA. However, later police department clarified that the officer had been granted a leave as she wanted to attend her mother who is unwell, putting an end to speculations.

Meanwhile, the department had temporarily deployed 2007-batch Himachal Pradesh Police Service (HPPS) officer and Commandant, 8th Battalion, Home Guards in Chamba district Vinod Kumar to oversee police operations in Baddi until Afroz resumes her duties on her return from leave.

Her absence has also garnered support from former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shanta Kumar who has also written a letter to the current CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in which he urged him to not to punish the officer for working honestly. Condemning the government for remaining silent in this matter, Kumar, in the letter, wrote that the fact that is coming out from social media and other sources is that the said SP is a capable and honest officer. She has taken strict action against the illegal work of a leader’s family. That is why she was sent on leave by the government. The government has not given any clarification in this regard.