Pipra Tarn OC suspended in poppy smuggling, fake kidnapping case
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Daltonganj: Palamu superintendent of police (SP) Reeshma Ramesan suspended the officer in-charge of the Pipra Tarn police station, Rajvardhan, over "colossal intelligence failure" .
The suspension order, issued on July 25, comes in the wake of a scandal involving a staged kidnapping and illegal activities under the officer's jurisdiction.
The SP said, "The officer in-charge failed to act on illegal activities occurring right under his nose, involving police station chowkidar Vinod Paswan and his son Niraj."
The case unfolded when four men from Ludhiana, including Harmeet and Satbeer, travelled to Titlangi to purchase poppy husks.
The controversy deepened with the revelation of a staged kidnapping for ransom involving Harmeet and Satbeer. The kidnapping, orchestrated by locals, including Niraj, was a cover for a poppy husk smuggling operation.
The staged kidnapping resulted in Rs 7.50 lakh being extracted from their families. The ransom was digitally transferred to an account linked to one of the abductors, Pintu Yadav, which has been frozen.
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The situation came to light when Harmeet and Satbeer's sister, a govt doctor, alerted Ramesan about the kidnapping on July 23. The police operation busted a narcotics trade, with 3.14 quintals of poppy husk and over Rs 32 lakh seized.
Probe revealed that the officer attempted to conceal the fake kidnapping, withholding information from senior police officials.
Eight individuals, including Harmeet, Satbeer, and Niraj, are in judicial custody.
SP Ramesan urged DC Sameera S to take action against the chowkidar.
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