Former Delhi Police Commissioner and senior IPS officer Ajai Raj Sharma passed away in Noida after a prolonged illness. He was one of Delhi’s most well-known police officers and played a key role in modernising the force.
Ajai Raj Sharma, a 1966-batch IPS officer, originally belonged to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre. He was the first Delhi Police Commissioner appointed outside the AGMUT cadre, brought in by then-Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani.
Born into a landlord family, Sharma always had a passion for police service. His career was marked by several notable achievements. One of his most significant contributions was the formation of the Special Task Force (STF) in UP, according to Navbharat Times. This elite unit was created to combat organised crime, and under Sharma’s leadership, it successfully eliminated notorious gangster Prakash Shukla.
Sharma hailed from Mirzapur in eastern UP. He completed his early education at St Joseph’s Academy in Dehradun before moving to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in 1956. He studied at Christian Public School and later graduated from Allahabad University, where he also completed his master’s degree in 1965. Alongside his studies, he prepared for the UPSC exam and cleared it on his first attempt, joining the IPS in 1966.
Recognising his exceptional policing skills, Advani brought Sharma to Delhi, where he made lasting reforms in law enforcement.
His passing marks the end of an era in Indian policing, with his contributions leaving a lasting impact on crime control and police administration.
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