The Maharashtra government on Monday has accepted the resignation of 'encounter specialist' Police Inspector Pradeep Sharma, an official has said.

Pradeep Sharma career and resignation

Sharma headed the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Thane police when he applied for voluntary retirement in July this year after 35 years of service. He has reportedly shot dead more than 100 criminals in 'encounters'. "The Home department accepted Sharma's resignation on Monday," an official said, adding that relevant orders had also been issued. However, the official also stated that Sharma would not be eligible for retirement benefits like pension, etc., till the Bombay High Court gaves its verdict on a petition challenging the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) order in the Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya alleged fake encounter case.

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Sharma was sacked by the state government from service in 2008 for his alleged links with Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang and his role in the encounter case. A sessions court in 2013 acquitted Sharma in the alleged fake encounter case. He was reinstated in police force in 2017. After serving at the DG control room for few days, Sharma was made senior police inspector of the AEC of Thane Police.

There are also speculations that Sharma will join the Shiv Sena and contest the upcoming assembly elections from Nallasopara in Palghar against Bahujan Vikas Aghadi MLA Kshitij Thakur.

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Maharashtra Assembly polls

Maharashtra is set for the upcoming state Assembly elections in October. According to reports, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance have already commenced seat-sharing talks. Sources have reported that BJP has demanded 160 of the 288 seats, to contest polls. This has reportedly led to Sena's disappointment as it will contest only 110 seats. However, the final call will be taken by BJP President Amit Shah, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis and Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray. 

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Meanwhile, BJP President Amit Shah has asserted that Devendra Fadnavis should be given one more term as a Chief Minister. “Devendra Fadnavis deserves another term to take the development work ahead,” said Shah. He was addressing at the culmination rally of the second leg of Fadnavis' ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’ launched on August 1 by Fadnavis. Touting the Fadnavis-Modi combination in Delhi and Maharashtra, he said that in 2014, it was the duo that took the state on the path of development.

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(With PTI Inputs)