Four Tripura police personnel, including an inspector, have been arrested on charges of stealing 245 bottles of cough syrup from a contraband consignment seized by authorities, police said on Monday.
The four were identified by the police as Inspector Ajit Debbarma, Assistant Inspectors Rajendra Rayang and Samba Das – all attached to Tillyamura police station – and Assistant Inspector Sachindra Debbarma of the Special Branch of the state police.
“They were arrested on Sunday and were later suspended,” said Inspector of Police (Police Surveillance) and Senior Public Relations Officer Rajdeep Deb. The four were produced before a local court on Monday.
A patrol team of Tilliamoura police officers seized a vehicle carrying a consignment of cough syrup on May 20, police said. Later, a video clip emerged from the police station’s surveillance cameras, indicating that individuals had illegally removed about 245 bottles of cough syrup before the seizure was recorded in official documents.
A police officer said that a criminal case has been registered against them under sections 305 (theft from government vehicle/property), 306 (theft from employer), 316 (5) (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 61 (criminal conspiracy) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and 21 (c) and 29 (possession of commercial quantity of contraband, abetment and criminal conspiracy) of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 based on the complaint filed by Justin Joseph, Additional Superintendent. Police (Khoi Province).
