Himachal Pradesh police has issued a notice to Palampur businessman Nishant Kumar Sharma seeking recovery of ₹68,60,502 spent on providing security to him and his family. The police headquarters has directed him to deposit the amount into the government account within 15 days.
According to the police, personnel from different units of the Himachal Pradesh Police were deployed for the security of Nishant Sharma and his family at different times. The security arrangement, which continued for nearly three years, resulted in total expenditure of ₹68,60,502 on the deployment of police personnel.
The recovery process has been initiated based on a decision of the Joint Security Review Committee.
A notice issued by the police headquarters on August 25, 2026, directed Nishant Sharma to deposit the amount spent on his security into the government account within 15 days. Copies of the notice were also sent to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, the Additional Director General of Police of the State CID, the Superintendent of Police of Kangra and the Commandant of the Reserve Battalion at Sakoh.
The issue of Nishant Sharma's security came into focus in 2023 after he emailed the Himachal Pradesh High Court, stating that he and his family faced a threat to their lives. He alleged a threat from certain influential people and also raised questions about the role of senior police officials.
The High Court took the complaint seriously and sought a status report from the police.
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at McLeodganj police station on November 16, 2023. The police subsequently made security arrangements for Nishant Sharma and his family. Based on the threat assessment, security personnel were deployed with them, with personnel from different police units being assigned at different times.
The names of then Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu and then Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri also emerged in the dispute.
In December 2023, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed that both officials be transferred to other positions to ensure an impartial investigation. The court said they should be assigned responsibilities from which they could not influence the investigation.
The matter later reached the Supreme Court. In January 2024, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court's direction concerning the removal of the DGP from his post. The apex court directed the state government to constitute an SIT comprising officers of Inspector General rank and to continue providing adequate security to the complainant and his family based on the threat assessment.
A new development came from the Joint Security Review Committee. The committee met on August 5, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to review the security provided to Nishant Sharma and his family and the government expenditure incurred on it.
The committee decided that the amount spent by the state government and police on the security would be recovered from Nishant Sharma. Following the decision, the police headquarters compiled the expenditure details and issued the recovery notice.
According to details provided by Kangra police, ₹37,96,589 was spent on security during one period. During another period, ₹30,63,913 was spent by the Reserve Battalion at Sakoh.
The two amounts total ₹68,60,502.
The police headquarters stated in the notice that the expenditure had been incurred from public funds. The Joint Security Review Committee therefore decided that the amount should be recovered from the concerned individual.
Nishant Sharma and his family were provided police security from November 16, 2023. The security arrangement was changed from time to time, with personnel from different police units deployed for their protection.
The police headquarters obtained official expenditure details from the units involved in the security arrangement. The Additional Director General of Police of the State CID collected the information from the concerned units. The final amount was determined on the basis of figures received from Kangra police and the Sakoh Reserve Battalion, after which the recovery notice for ₹68,60,502 was issued.
The security arrangement followed Nishant Sharma's claim in 2023 that he and his family faced a threat. The email cited in the High Court record referred to a threat to his life. He identified himself as a member of a family associated with a hotel business in Palampur and alleged pressure and threats from certain people. The allegations and findings related to the matter have been considered through separate legal processes.
In December 2023, following the High Court's directions, the dispute received attention in connection with allegations and legal action involving police officials. The subsequent intervention of the Supreme Court led to a separate course concerning the investigation and security arrangements. In July 2026, the Himachal Pradesh High Court also delivered a judgment in a matter connected with the earlier dispute.
The August 2026 recovery notice has brought the matter back into focus. After nearly three years of providing security, the police have now calculated the expenditure incurred so far and initiated the recovery process.
The notice gives Nishant Sharma 15 days to deposit ₹68,60,502. The police have specified the payment deadline through the notice.
