Four personnel of Bishalgarh police station, including Officer-in-Charge (OC) Bijay Das, has been closed from duty by Sepahijala district Superintendent of Police (SP) Bijay Debbarma following a Crime Branch inquiry into allegations of theft of nearly 3 kg of gold. The action comes in compliance with an order of the High Court of Tripura directing an investigation into the case.
The other police personnel removed from duty are second officer Supratim Deb, Sub-Inspector (SI) Banijay Reang and constable Bahar Miah.
According to court sources, the incident dates back to February 21 this year when Billal Miah, a resident of Melaghar under Sonamura subdivision of Sepahijala district, was travelling to Agartala in a hired vehicle along with three relatives carrying around 3 kg of gold. The family reportedly intended to sell the gold to meet the expenses of a major surgery for a relative at a private hospital.
Acting on a tip-off that narcotics were being transported, a police team from Bishalgarh police station, led by the OC, intercepted the vehicle after a chase and stopped it near Ramthakur College in Badharghat area of Agartala.
The vehicle was then taken to Bishalgarh police station despite protests from Billal Miah and his relatives. According to the allegations made in the writ petition, the vehicle was parked in an area of the police station compound that was not covered by CCTV cameras. During the search, the police allegedly recovered the gold and seized the entire quantity despite repeated claims by the family regarding its ownership and purpose.
The petition further alleged that Billal Miah and his relatives attempted to lodge complaints at both Bishalgarh and Sonamura police stations but were unsuccessful. They later submitted a written complaint to the Sepahijala SP on February 28, but no action was taken.
Subsequently, the family approached the High Court of Tripura through advocate Sankar Lodh. Acting on the petition, the High Court on August 18 directed the Crime Branch to investigate the allegations.
Following the court's directive, the Sepahijala SP on Thursday relieved the four police personnel from active duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
The development has sparked widespread discussion in the state, with the case drawing attention to allegations of police misconduct and the need for accountability within the force. The allegations against the suspended personnel are currently under investigation, and no findings on the merits of the case have yet been made by the investigating agency.