A high-speed police chase through the serpentine roads of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district culminated in a dramatic arrest on Tuesday. The incident led to the capture of a man who was allegedly posing as a senior police officer and the recovery of multiple firearms from his convoy.
The Dramatic Chase and Interception
The sequence of events began at a routine traffic checkpoint near Sangrah Chowk. According to Sirmaur Superintendent of Police Nishchint Singh Negi, two vehicles—a Mahindra Bolero and a Toyota Innova—approached at high speed. Both cars were fitted with blaring hooters (sirens) and displayed official-looking police boards on their dashboards, attempting to mimic an official police convoy.
Officers noted a man dressed in a police uniform inside the Toyota Innova. When signaled to stop for a check, the drivers of both vehicles refused to comply and instead accelerated, fleeing the scene. This triggered a coordinated pursuit involving local patrols and alerts to neighboring police stations.
The chase finally ended near the historic Mata Shri Renuka Ji temple, where police successfully intercepted and detained the group in the Haripurdhar area.
Unmasking the Impersonator and Seizure of Weapons
Upon arrest, the mastermind behind the operation was identified as Uday Sharma, a resident of Mohali in Punjab. At the time of his capture, he was wearing a complete Himachal Pradesh Police uniform. The uniform was notably adorned with three stars on the shoulders and HPP badges, insignia meant to project the authority of a high-ranking officer. Sharma claimed to be an officer with the CID or vigilance department.
"He could not provide any valid identification or documents to support his claims," stated SP Negi, confirming the impersonation.
In the second vehicle, police arrested Ajay, a resident of Karnal in Haryana. A thorough search of their vehicles led to a significant seizure of arms and ammunition:
- A revolver with seven live rounds.
- A .315-bore rifle with five rounds of ammunition.
While Ajay reportedly possessed a license for the weapons, authorities confirmed a critical lapse: he did not have the mandatory permit to carry these firearms within the jurisdiction of Himachal Pradesh.
Ongoing Investigation and Motive Probe
The drivers of the vehicles, including one identified as Aamir Hussain from Shimla, are also being questioned by the police. A formal case has been registered, and interrogations of the main accused, Uday Sharma and Ajay, are currently underway.
Investigators are delving deep to uncover the motive behind the elaborate police impersonation. A key line of inquiry is whether the duo intended to use the disguise and fake authority to facilitate cross-state criminal activities. Potential motives being examined include:
- Smuggling of arms or other contraband.
- Extortion or intimidation under the guise of police raids.
- Other planned criminal enterprises that required bypassing security checkpoints unchallenged.
The arrest has highlighted concerns about the misuse of police insignia and the strict enforcement of inter-state weapon carriage laws. The Sirmaur police continue their investigation to unravel the full scope of the racket.
