Patna: Eight police personnel posted at Phulwari Sharif police station have been suspended following an inquiry into allegations that Rs 11 lakh was accepted to release two people detained during a raid linked to suspected narcotics activity. According to Patna City SP (West) Chandra Prakash, the allegations were found to be correct during the preliminary inquiry; a case has also been registered, and departmental proceedings have been initiated against the suspended personnel.

Source: Patna Press

The case stems from a raid on October 26, carried out on confidential information about suspected drug-related activity, in which police arrested Aaqib Khan alias Mohammad Saqib Khan, 32, a resident of Naya Tola Pathan Toli, Ward 24, and seized suspected narcotic substances. He was sent to judicial custody, and an FIR was registered at Phulwari Sharif police station as Case No. 1867/26, dated October 26, under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, along with Sections 25(1-B) and 26 of the Arms Act.

According to the police inquiry, two other men — Mohammad Aftab Alam and Mohammad Ehsan — were also detained during the October 26 operation and brought to the police station. Their names were allegedly not included in the FIR, senior officers were not informed about their detention and release, and the two were allegedly released on personal-recognition bonds. The inquiry examined allegations that Rs 11 lakh was accepted in exchange for their release. ReportWire and The World Opinion, reporting the same suspensions, also placed the alleged payment at Rs 11 lakh and linked it to the release of the two additional detainees.

Source: ReportWire

The alleged transaction reportedly came to the attention of senior officers following a dispute among the police personnel over the money. The matter was subsequently investigated by the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Phulwari Sharif, and the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the handling of the two detainees was taken up separately from the narcotics case.

Those suspended are Sub-Inspector Diwakar Prasad, Sub-Inspector Narad Muni Singh, Sub-Inspector Ritesh Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Akash Kumar, Sub-Inspector Pawan Kumar, PTC-1118 Sabir Alam, Constable No. 8949 Anand Raj and Constable No. 9035 Shubham Kumar. As part of the investigation into the original incident, police seized the Scorpio SUV allegedly used in the case, and two mobile phones were reportedly recovered from the accused in the narcotics case.

Investigators are examining the circumstances of the detention and release of the two men, the alleged financial transaction and the role of anyone who may have facilitated it, including whether anyone outside the department was involved. The allegations against the suspended personnel remain allegations at this stage: the departmental proceedings and the registered case will establish individual roles and responsibility.