Maharashtra constable among seven accused nabbed by Chhattisgarh cops for smuggling cannabis

Mohd Sajid Pathan was working as a constable in Mira-Bhayander Vasai Virar police Commissionerate before being arrested for smuggling cannabis in Chhattisgarh. Photo/Hanif Patel

A police constable from the MBVV police headquarter was caught along with six other accused by Bastar police of Chhattisgarh for smuggling 150 Kg cannabis worth 7.50 lakh at the Odisha border last week. According to the police, they had received information that a huge quantity of cannabis was to be smuggled through the area with luxury vehicles. Based on this information, the Bastar Police started checking the ongoing vehicles by putting up a check post at the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border.

An Ertiga vehicle coming from Odisha was stopped during the search of the vehicles, from which the officials recovered 70 kg cannabis and arrested two smugglers Ankit Jaiswal (21) and Chand Pasha (23), both of whom are residents of Maharashtra. The police later stopped an Innova vehicle and recovered 80 kg cannabis from it. They caught Ajay Patel (22), Suraj Maurya (22), Ritesh Singh (22), and Mohd Sajid Pathan (32) from the second vehicle.

Following an interrogation, it has been revealed Mohd Sajid Pathan is a constable in the Maharashtra Police who was working at police headquarter in Mira-Bhayander Vasai Virar police Commissionerate. It is learned from police sources that after being given 24 hours or 48 hours duty at the headquarter, police personnel gets 2 days of leave.

It was also revealed that some personnel in close connection with the duty officers extend their period of leave and go to their village where they work in other fields. There are several police personnel in the department who do not have their own residential place, however, go back to their village as soon as they leave. Pathan also took the leave asking to go to the village and did not come on duty since last 10 days, said an officer from MBVV police. During the interrogation, they told the police that they were going to Mumbai with the seized cannabis. However, there was a pre-existing deal in place with some people to buy this cannabis.