Sukma, Aug 13 (PTI) A police inspector was arrested on Tuesday in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district for allegedly seizing the footage of a CCTV camera installed at a lodge without any authority, a senior official said.
The action was taken against Ajay Sonkar, Station House Officer (SHO) at Konta police station, based on a complaint by some local journalists, he said.
The officer’s conduct in connection with the arrest of four Bastar-based journalists under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act along the Chhattisgarh- Andhra Pradesh border was suspicious, the journalists had claimed.
On Sunday, four journalists from Bastar, namely, Bappi Rai, Dharmendra Singh, Manish Singh and Nishu Trivedi, were arrested by police from Chintoor in Andhra Pradesh which allegedly recovered cannabis from their vehicle. A case was registered against six persons including these four under the NDPS Act.
Journalists from the Bastar region then alleged that Sukma Police, in collusion with sand mafia, implicated the four journalists by planting cannabis in the vehicle.
On August 11, some journalists in a memorandum alleged that the role of Konta SHO Sonkar was suspicious, said Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan.
A team headed by Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Sukma Parmeshwar Tilakwar was constituted to probe the allegations, he said.
The preliminary investigation suggested that Bappi Rai, who hails from Dantewada, and three others had gone to Konta on August 9 at the invitation of Irshad Khan and Madvi Pavan. The four attended the birthday party of Khan’s brother there.
Later, Rai and three others stopped sand-laden trucks of sand contractor Chandu while the vehicles were heading to the neighbouring state. The Konta SHO reached the spot, and returned after taking stock of the matter. Later Rai and the other three journalists stayed at RSN lodge in Konta where sand contractor Chandu was also staying, SP Chavan said.
Khan and Pavan allegedly drove Rai’s car somewhere during the night of August 9 when Sonkar was also out on patrolling in the same area, he said.
Next day, Chintoor police lodged a case against six persons under NDPS Act and arrested the four journalists, while Khan and Madvi were stated to be absconding.
Khan and Pavan had offences lodged against them in the past under the NDPS Act.
Sonkar later went to the lodge and illegally took away the DVR (digital video recorder) of the CCTV camera there, the SP said.
In view of the sensitivity of the matter, Sonakar was suspended, he said.
A case was registered against Sonkar under section 324 (mischief) and 331 (2) (house trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and he was arrested, Chavan said, adding that further investigation was underway.
Meanwhile, journalists from the Bastar region have decided to submit a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds Home portfolio, demanding a CBI probe into the entire case.
Police in collusion with sand mafia planted cannabis in Rai’s vehicle, they alleged. PTI TKP KRK
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