Memories : CHHAYA SHARMA (IPS), AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP AWARD

Mrs. Chhaya Sharma, a decorated officer  of the Indian Police Service has been awarded the prestigious Courage and Leadership award instituted by McCain Institute for International  Leadership at Arizona State University, USA. The award was presented to her at the Sedona Forum 2019, at Sedona, Arizona, USA on 04 May, 2019. This award is given each year to honor an individual or group who has stood unwaveringly for fundamental values and has inspired the world through acts of selfless courage. By recognizing this service to humankind, the McCain Institute hopes to nurture the courage in each of us to stand for what we know is right. The recipients are selected based on their acts of personal courage on behalf of human rights, humanitarian compassion, justice, freedom and human dignity.

A resolute guardian of human rights, Chhaya has led teams in detection and investigation of sensitive criminal cases and protection of human rights during her career spanning over 19 years. Sharma’s policing has consistently reflected victim-centric approach through her numerous investigations of serious crimes, particularly against women and children. 

Her stellar contribution, however, has been leading the investigation of the infamous Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case of December 2012 in New Delhi. As the head of the special investigation team, she closely supervised all aspects of investigation of this blind case by actively taking charge of the situation – making quick decisions, giving directions, assimilating information and guiding with succinct inputs – all the while coordinating efforts of various teams. During the six grueling days of the manhunt across five Indian States, Sharma stood as a shield for her team of officers and men, insulating them from mounting media and civil society pressures, which led to quick apprehension of the perpetrators of that ghastly crime. As the lead investigator, Sharma kept the focus on meticulous documentation and collection of scientific evidence. The charge-sheet in this case, filed in a record 18 day, withstood various stages of judicial scrutiny all the way up to the Indian Supreme Court and resulted in conviction with maximum punishment.  

Early in her career, Sharma successfully led several police operations for rescuing minors from commercial sexual exploitation for which she has received Commendation from the High Court of Delhi in 2001. Sharma’s investigation and prosecution of human trafficking finds a prominent mention in a research published by the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi in 2005. This research credited her for causing a paradigm shift in law enforcement in the human trafficking of women and children in India. 

Her avowed mission against human trafficking continues in her present role with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India as well, where she is currently serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG). She has been instrumental in bringing the voices of the victims of human rights’ violations for effective redressal by the National Commission. For this, she has guided a lean but effective unit of officers who directly meet the victims during spot enquiries. She has also played a critical role in drafting Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines to Combat Trafficking of Persons in India in 2017. Sharma has also been an active participant of the Core Group on issues of Human Trafficking, which advises the NHRC. 

 Past recipients of the McCain Institute’s Award for Courage and Leadership are the White Helmets (2018), Kayla Mueller (posthumously 2017), Dikembe Mutombo (2016) and Malala Yousafzai (2015).

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