Kochi: A sub-inspector attached to Ernakulam Central Police Station has been arrested and suspended after allegedly stealing 87.37 grams of MDMA kept in the station's strong room as case evidence, according to the FIR and the suspension order cited by police. The arrested officer is Aneez S Thoufeeq, 29, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, who was arrested on Thursday after a special branch report led to his suspension earlier the same day.

Source: Urban Acres (FIR and suspension order)

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala confirmed action in the case on Friday, saying strict action would be taken against officials involved in such misconduct and that officers who misappropriate seized narcotics or tamper with evidence would have no place in the police force, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat

What the FIR alleges

According to the FIR, Thoufeeq entered the strong room without permission and allegedly removed a sealed packet containing 87.37 grams of MDMA seized by Elamakkara Police on October 18 in a narcotics investigation. Officers later noticed a discrepancy in the quantity of MDMA stored for transfer to the District Headquarters camp godown for disposal, and, after learning that an inquiry was under way, Thoufeeq allegedly returned another unsealed packet containing 202 grams of MDMA on October 26. These are police allegations in the FIR; nothing has been proved in court.

The case was registered on the complaint of the officer responsible for the station's strong room. Police have booked the sub-inspector under Sections 306 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 21(c) of the NDPS Act.

Police said the investigation is examining the motive behind the alleged theft, whether the officer received assistance from anyone else at the station, and his financial background. The case has put the chain of custody for seized narcotics under scrutiny, since any unexplained change in the quantity of stored drugs can affect the prosecution of the original narcotics case.