Dharamshala, April 16
BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma has alleged a “political vendetta” in an illegal mining case in Himachal Pradesh, after relatives of a BJP legislator surrendered in court. The brother and uncle of Ashish Sharma appeared before a Chief Judicial Magistrate court on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court of India rejected their bail plea. The two accused, identified as Umesh Sharma and Praveen Kumar, were remanded to one day of police custody and are due to be produced again.
The case relates to allegations of illegal mining, though Sudhir Sharma claimed the charges were part of a wider conspiracy to implicate political opponents.
In a statement, he raised concerns over the investigation, alleging that police were acting both as complainant and witness. He said this could undermine the fairness of the probe and weaken public trust in the justice system.
Sharma also criticised the state government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accusing it of focusing on political interests rather than development and public welfare.
The state government has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The developments have added to political tensions in the state, with the case drawing attention to broader questions around governance, accountability and the use of investigative agencies.
