UP’s ‘Singham’ warns TMC strongman Jahangir Khan: Who is ‘encounter specialist’ Ajay Pal Sharma currently posted as police observer in Bengal

The politically charged climate in West Bengal is rising as it nears Phase II of the assembly election voting on 29th April (Wednesday). Now, a fresh issue has come to light concerning an IPS officer, Ajay Pal Sharma, from the Uttar Pradesh cadre who has been assigned to the state as a police observer. The matter began when his video surfaced online on 27th April (Monday). IPS Sharma visited the home of Jahangir Khan, who is reportedly close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee and is an All India Trinamool Congress candidate (AITC or TMC) from Falta, to confront his goons on the last day of the election campaign. “All of you comprehend this fully that strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to create trouble. If any instances of issues or problems are reported, appropriate measures will be enforced. Jahangir’s family members are present here. Inform him that we are receiving frequent information about his men threatening people. We will take firm action against him. Do not cry or repent later,” Sharma warned. “Jahangir ki ghar wale bhi khade hai, usko bata dena kaide se — yeh baar baar jo khabar aa raha hai ke Jahangir ke log dhamka rahe hain, toh phir achchhe se khabar lenge. Phir baad mein rona aur pachtana mat karna.”Soon after taking charge as observer of South 24 Parganas, Ajay… pic.twitter.com/jkoG2ItGiX— Piyali Mitra (@Plchakraborty) April 27, 2026 Sharma also discovered that 14 West Bengal police officers were stationed there and was told that 10 cops had been assigned to provide Khan with Y-category protection. He pointed out the disparity and sent out a notification to the Superintendent of Police demanding an explanation for the additional deployment. Khan promptly responded to the occurrence and alleged, “Around 3 pm yesterday, he came and tried to threaten my security at this party office. Then he went and tried to threat my family. Is this the duty of a police observer? If he has to say something he has to tell the SP (Superintendent of Police) or IC (Inspector-in-Charge).” He charged that Sharma acted beyond the scope of his authoritative jurisdiction as assigned by the Election Commission of India to aid the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and threatened the members of his party. “There is no rule of ECI that says that a police observer can go and threat people at their houses. To aid BJP these people are doing illegal things. They are trying to threaten TMC workers and leaders because they know that they won’t win but we are not afraid,” Khan claimed. Diamond Harbour, West Bengal: On Police Observer Ajay Pal Sharma, TMC Candidate from Falta Constituency, Jahangir Khan says, "Around 3 pm yesterday, he came and tried to threaten my security at this party office. Then he went and tried to threat my family. Is this the duty of a… pic.twitter.com/xhJalkmn0s— IANS (@ians_india) April 28, 2026 “This is Bengal. If he is Singham, I am Pushpa. No amount of threat or coercion by the BJP-appointed police officials from Uttar Pradesh will be allowed in Falta. They came with forces and tried to pressure my people and me. Such actions are not acceptable in a democratic system,” Khan further retaliated. On the other hand, TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, senior Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and the opposition ecosystem resorted to sharing a video where a man was seen enjoying the dance of a scantily-clad woman to claim it was IPS Sharma. A “journalist” deleted the clip afterwards. However, formal complaints are reportedly being registered concerning this matter. So this video turned out to be fakeOut of fear @iamnarendranath already deleted this tweetNow UP Police should register case against likes of @Sachingupta @umashankarsingh too who are damaging the reputation of UP Police. pic.twitter.com/ZiW4x6S58h— Lala (@lala_the_don) April 28, 2026 Sharma was spotted raiding Khan’s residence following grave accusations of voter intimidation by the latter’s supporters. He was joined by a combined team of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Flying Surveillance Team (FST) and Quick Response Team (QRT). Sharma is one of the 11 police observers that the Election Commission has provided for the peaceful organisation of second round of voting in the state. He is deployed to the district with the largest allotment, South 24 Parganas, along with 2 others. TMC’s efforts to stop Ajay Pal Sharma from discharging his duties in Bengal have also been thwarted by the Calcutta High Court. A writ petition was filed today to claim his warning to Jehangir Khan is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and he should be recalled from his current duties as Election Observer in the state. The High Court refused to entertain the plea, stating, “We will not intervene until April 29. We will not interfere in the work of those entrusted with election duties.” Calcutta refuses to interfere in the matter. “We will not intervene until April 29. We will not interfere in the work of those entrusted with election duties,” said Justice Krishna Rao. https://t.co/iOAZi31qXY— Piyali Mitra (@Plchakraborty) April 28, 2026 Meet the “encounter specialist” of Uttar Pradesh Sharma, who was born in Punjab’s Ludhiana on 26th October 1985 is renowned for his strict and unyielding approach to law enforcement. He joined the Indian Police Service in 2011 after completing his training as a dental surgeon at Government Medical College in Patiala. The 40-year-old has reportedly participated in over 500 police encounters over the years, earning the title of “encounter specialist.” During these operations, nearly 15 criminals were killed, and numerous others were taken into custody. Notably, he launched 136 encounters in just 22 months as SP in Jaunpur, which is regarded as one of the greatest figures for a district assignment. Sharma has also handled important tasks at Prayagraj, especially during the Kumbh Mela and served as SP/SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) in Hathras, Shamli, Rampur and Jaunpur. He is presently Prayagraj’s Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). “We need IPS officials like Ajay Pal Sharma to tackle crime in our state. I would urge officials in my state to take inspiration from IPS Sharma and learn techniques to curb crime in the state,” former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar declared while facilitating Sharma at a function in Karnal in 2017. CM Yogi had also announced that the new law and order in place had put an end to the “Kairana-like exodus,” with local traders breathing a sigh of relief, when Sharma was posted in Shamli. The region witnessed the killings of 4 infamous criminals as 20 others were wounded, while he was praised from all quarters. Locals gave him a chariot ride after the cops shot and killed two notorious criminals in two consecutive shootings. Dreaded criminals surrendered out of fear of similar action under his authority. Furthermore, offenders were writing to courts to express their desire to remain incarcerated and promised never to engage in any illicit activity. From Sharma to “Singham” Sharma first became popular in 2018 while serving at Rampur when he was searching for a man who raped and murdered a 6-year-old girl. A brief encounter ensued while attempting to apprehend the accused who was shot 3 times and nabbed. The police officer gained a lot of attention as a result of the instance. He was facilitated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in March 2018. Afterwards, he was moved to Noida and became SSP. Interestingly, Sharma is acknowledged for monitoring not only criminal gangs but also his own force. He was tipped off about a supposed list of bribe rates among police officers while he was posted in Noida. He made the decision to act independently and carried out an unexpected inspection. He dressed plainly, got into an autorickshaw and drove through the streets of Noida and Greater Noida. He succeeded in suspending a sub-inspector after catching him red-handed. There are numerous such tales about him in police circles. Sharma has even shared his opinions regarding his designation as an “encounter specialist.” He voiced, “These encounters did not happen by will, it was just chance. We want to arrest criminals, make recoveries and collect the maximum information on their hiding places, their other gang members, etc. This is the last option. We do not know what situation arises on the ground,” in a conversation with The Print. Sharma admitted that he killed at least 9 accused and wounded about 190 others during these violent face-offs. He actively pursued many wanted criminals, with bounties varying from ₹5,000 to ₹100,000 and effectively neutralised several of them. He even took decisive action, including the invocation of the National Security Act (NSA) against the mining mafia. He initiated disciplinary actions against almost 63 police personnel, demonstrating his unwavering stance against corruption. Allegations of corruption and a significant presence on social media There have been some controversies in Sharma’s career as well. He was ousted as Rampur SP in 2020 due to claims of posting irregularities. A vigilance investigation was then suggested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He was charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Meerut for allegedly pushing for his relocation and posting. Additionally, a woman accused Sharma of cheating under the guise of marriage, which resulted in the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) in Lucknow. The scandal hindered his career advancement for a while even though he eventually earned a clean chit. Sharma has a large social media fan base. He has about 1,40,000 followers on a Facebook page in his name. His younger brother, Amit Pal Sharma, is also a 2015 batch IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre.