Ghaziabad Police Officer Faces Inquiry Over Controversial 'Mobile Scanner' Act
The Ghaziabad police have taken disciplinary action against a station house officer (SHO) after a widely circulated video showed him using a mobile phone in a bizarre manner during an identity verification drive in a slum. SHO Ajay Sharma of Kaushambi police station has been issued a strict warning following the incident, which has drawn sharp criticism on social media and attracted the attention of senior officials in Lucknow.
The Incident: A Mobile Phone Posed as a 'Truth Detector'
The controversial event took place on December 23 during a police verification drive in the Bhowapur slum area, which houses approximately 50 shanties. While police personnel, including a team from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), were checking the documents of a few residents, the method employed by SHO Sharma became the focal point of outrage.
In a 26-second video clip that surfaced online on Thursday, Sharma is seen interacting with slum residents. When one resident showed his identity card and stated he was from Araria in Bihar, Sharma questioned if he was actually from Bangladesh. As the man insisted on his Indian nationality and asked the police to verify his documents, Sharma introduced an unusual 'tool'.
A constable was instructed to place a mobile phone on the man's back, after which Sharma claimed the device was a machine that could instantly reveal a person's true place of origin. He then asserted that the phone was "showing Bangladesh," a claim the resident firmly denied, stating, "No, Sir, we are from Bihar," and adding that there were no Bangladeshis in the slum.
Police Response and Official Inquiry Launched
Deputy Commissioner of Police (trans-Hindon) Nimish Patil confirmed that an inquiry into the officer's conduct has been initiated. The probe will be led by Abhisek Srivastava, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Indirapuram. Patil stated that a strict warning was served to SHO Sharma with explicit instructions that such behavior must not be repeated.
"All facts are being investigated and further action will be taken as necessary," DCP Patil said. The matter has also reached police headquarters in Lucknow, where officials have sought a detailed report from the Ghaziabad police regarding the entire episode.
A senior officer mentioned that the police march in the area was part of routine security measures during the Christmas and New Year period but clarified that no specific order from seniors authorized the method used by Sharma.
Contrasting Narratives: 'Joke' vs. 'Pressure'
SHO Ajay Sharma, in his defense, told reporters that he was not forcing anyone and that his actions were meant in jest. "There is no such machine. I didn't say it in the wrong way. I was jokingly saying, 'tell the truth, otherwise the machine will tell.' My only purpose was to know the truth," Sharma explained.
This perspective was partly echoed by a resident, Roshani Khatoon, who was seen showing her Aadhaar card in the video. She said, "He didn't misbehave with me… he said to me he had a machine with a smile on his face."
However, the video and the official police response suggest the act was perceived as an inappropriate method of applying pressure during a sensitive identity check operation, potentially undermining public trust and profiling residents based on their appearance or socio-economic status.
The incident highlights the fine line between innovative policing and methods that can be seen as intimidating or mocking, especially in vulnerable communities. The ongoing inquiry will determine if further disciplinary steps are warranted against the officer involved.
