Rajnandgaon: Clad in a blue saree, she casually picks up an AK-47 rifle from a table, points it towards the sky and lets off a few rounds, before placing it back after clearing the breech.
The video on the incident has now gone viral on social media. The saree-clad woman is Ankita Sharma, SP, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. The occasion was Shastra Puja on Vijayadashami at the police lines.
Sharma is a well-known IPS officer in the state, popularly known as ‘Lady Singham’. While most social media viewers have praised her bold and fearless style, a few have questioned whether the firing was essential.
Worshipping weapons on Dussehra is a long-standing tradition in India, and the Army, police and other security forces observe Shastra Puja every year.
Sharma performed the puja as part of the tradition and then fired the AK-47, News18-India reported. The sight of a woman officer in a saree handling an assault rifle has become a talking point on social media.
The video has also brought to light the the level of weapons training, safety protocols and professional skills that are an essential part of an IPS officer’s duties.
Sharma is a 2018-batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, according to a News18 report. She is known for tough policing and her work on law and order, and her active social media presence often keeps her in the news.
During her postings in Chhattisgarh’s difficult terrain and Naxal-affected districts, she led several tough operations against criminals and Maoists. Her strong rapport with the public and firm administrative decisions earned her the ‘Lady Singham’ title within the police department.
Born on June 25, 1990, in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, Sharma secured an All India Rank of 203 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2017 and was allotted her home cadre, Chhattisgarh.
It was her third attempt at the exam. She reached the mains in her first attempt, but could not clear the preliminary exam in her second.
Her first posting was in Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh. She also served as CSP of Azad Chowk in Raipur. In May 2022, she was appointed SP of Khairagarh, becoming the district’s first woman SP, as reported by Money Control.
She has also led anti-Naxal operations in the Bastar region.