Rajnandgaon SP receives show-cause notice after AK-47 firing at Dussehra ceremony
The Rajnandgaon superintendent of police, Ankita Sharma, was served a show-cause notice by state police headquarters after a video showed her firing an AK-47 during a Dussehra weapon-worship ritual.
A video of Rajnandgaon superintendent of police Ankita Sharma firing an AK-47 during the Shastra Puja ceremony on October 20 went viral, prompting the Chhattisgarh police headquarters to issue her a show-cause notice. The firing took place at the Police Lines in Rajnandgaon, and range inspector general Ajay Yadav has asked Sharma to justify the act, citing possible breaches of weapon-handling rules and concerns over the police's reputation.
Critics, including retired IPS officer R K Vij and former army officers K J Dhillon and Deepak Kumar, argued that the ritual should not involve live fire and highlighted safety lapses. An anonymous IPS officer claimed that only blank rounds are traditionally used, but the videos showed loaded weapons being discharged. Additional footage showed Additional SP Kirtan Rathore also firing an AK-47, and similar videos emerged from districts such as Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Durg, Kabirdham and Bastar. The headquarters will review Sharma's response before deciding on further disciplinary action.
