Chhattisgarh Police Issue Notice Over Sharma’s AK-47 Firing

Chhattisgarh police have issued a show-cause notice to IPS officer Ankita Sharma after a video showed her firing an AK-47 during a Dussehra weapon-worship ceremony in Rajnandgaon. The notice asks her to explain the circumstances, and no final disciplinary action has been reported. The video showed Sharma firing several rounds after the Shastra Puja at Police Lines on October 20, dressed in a saree. Rajnandgaon Range Inspector General of Police Ajay Yadav said Sharma’s reply would be sent to senior officials along with his observations. Police headquarters would then provide further direction, he said. A senior official said the video’s negative reception on social media and concerns about safety and police image prompted the notice. The official said other videos showed police personnel firing during the same festival in districts across Chhattisgarh, but Sharma was the only officer served a notice because her video had gone viral. The sources do not establish whether any further notices were issued. Rajnandgaon Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtan Rathore was also seen firing an AK-47 in a separate video. Footage of police personnel firing after the ritual in Raipur,...