Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 11:
Despite the video footage produced by the Assam Rifles to claim that the Rs 2.15 crore worth of ganja which was seized on August 12 was consigned to the flames the next day in the presence of police and the civil population, a probe conducted by the State police has found out that no police personnel were present when the ganja was burnt.
The Assam Rifles produced the video footage, after The Sangai Express ran a story questioning the whereabouts of the seized item.
Talking to The Sangai Express a highly reliable source informed that soon after this paper ran the story a probe was instituted under the IG LO-II A Romenkumar following instructions from Police Headquarters.
The IG subsequently instructed the SP of Senapati district to conduct a probe and verify whether the said ganja consignment was burnt in the presence of police officials or not.
The IG has already submitted his report to Police Headquarters, said the source further.
The ganja weighing 8.6 tonne was seized by personnel of 22 Assam Rifles from a vehicle (Ashok Leyland) camouflaged as a security vehicle on August 12 near Makhan Centre under Mao police.
The source further said that when the Assam Rifles seized the ganja a police Sub-Inspector was present but no policeman was present when it was burnt.
The video footage available with The Sangai Express shows a policeman while the ganja was being taken into the custody of the Assam Rifles.
A Central paramilitary force, the Assam Rifles is authorised to seize contraband items including ganja but under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985, it cannot consign the seized items to flames, informed the source and added that the Assam Rifles authority has flouted official procedures.
It is also against the law for the Assam Rifles to keep the seized truck under its custody, said the source and explained that the truck ought to have been formally handed over to the nearest police station.
The source further said that the civilians shown in the video footage as witnessing the ganja being burnt may be family members of Assam Rifles personnel.
The Government will take up the necessary steps on the basis of the report submitted by IG A Romenkumar, said the source.
The State Excise Department was also not informed about the seizure of the ganja by the Assam Rifles, said another source and added that the Excise Department has been asked to conduct a probe into the matter.
On September 5, the Assam Rifles authority issued a rebuttal to the story earlier carried by The Sangai Express.
In the rebuttal, Assam Rifles had claimed that the ganja was burnt in the presence of police and the villagers.
Assam Rifles had also stated that the entire �event was recorded and also shown to the news reporter of The Sangai Express�.
The video footage was made available to The Sangai Express only after we had run the story questioning the whereabouts of the seized ganja.