Former SP gets bail in alleged RAW recruitment fraud case
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Former SP gets bail in alleged RAW recruitment fraud case
Shimla, Aug 27,
Retired Superintendent of Police Ravinder Sharma, accused of allegedly cheating a Himachal Pradesh High Court advocate of nearly Rs 30 lakh by promising to facilitate the recruitment of his son, Dhruv Sharma, in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Shimla, on Thursday.
Sharma appeared before the court after a non-bailable warrant had been issued against him. He furnished surety before the court and was granted bail on August 27.
According to the complaint, Sharma allegedly used his credentials and background as a senior police officer to convince the complainant that his son had cleared the UPSC examination and was undergoing or had been selected for elite training associated with RAW.
The complainant alleged that Sharma told him that money was urgently required for his son’s foreign training programme, involving travel to several countries. Trusting the representations, the advocate allegedly transferred around Rs 30 lakh in instalments through electronic transactions. The complaint further alleges that part of the money was transferred into accounts of family members.
The complainant later allegedly downloaded the UPSC list and found that the claims regarding his son’s selection did not correspond with the official examination records. When he demanded the return of the money, he allegedly received threats, including an alleged threat to his life.
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The matter eventually reached the court after the complainant alleged that his initial attempts to get an FIR registered did not succeed. The State CID subsequently investigated FIR No. 16/2023 and filed a chargesheet.
On April 21, 2026, the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Court No. 5, Shimla, took cognizance of the chargesheet and found sufficient grounds to proceed against Sharma under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC. The case was registered as Case No. 49/2026.
The investigation has also raised questions from the complainant over the alleged role of other family members. The original FIR allegedly named Sharma’s wife Vijay Sharma and son Dhruv Sharma and invoked Section 120-B. However, according to the complainant, only Ravinder Sharma was ultimately named in the chargesheet.
The case has also brought renewed attention to allegations surrounding Sharma’s past service. In 2008, while serving as an SP/ASP, he reportedly faced allegations concerning the issuance of a bar licence in his wife’s name using forged documents and signatures. A CID inquiry was ordered, and the licence was reportedly cancelled with the premises sealed.
The latest proceedings are now before the court, where the allegations will be tested during trial. Ravinder Sharma remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a competent court.
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