Phulbani: A day after villagers went on a rampage and ransacked Phiringia police station in Odisha’s Kandhamal district before setting it on fire, the inspector in-charge Tapan Kumar Nahak was on Sunday transferred over his alleged involvement in illegal trading of cannabis.
While the IIC has been transferred to the District Police Headquarters, home guards – Prashant Patra and Rabi Digal – have been placed under suspension over the same allegation.
“Cases have been registered against more than 30 persons in the police station arson incident. So far, around 15 of them have been identified and they are being questioned,” said Kandhamal SP Suvendu Kumar Patra.
“The viral video pertaining to the alleged ganja trading will be probed to ascertain its veracity,” he said, while requesting the locals to reopen shops in the locality.
According to sources, a police van loaded with cannabis was stopped by Phiringia sarpanch Jalandhar Kanhar, former sarpanch and locals while the vehicle was on its way to Budhakambha village to allegedly sell the contraband to a peddler on Thursday. They also captured the incident on their mobile phones and the videos was then sent to the SP, seeking action against the three cops.
On Saturday, hundreds of people of Phiringia blocked Phiringia- Balikuda road demanding action against the IIC and the two home guards and other policemen alleging that the police van was being used for cannabis smuggling. As vehicular movement on the route was disrupted, Phulbani SDPO Suprasana Mallick with police force reached the spot and tried to clear the road, which angered them further. They then attacked the SDPO, entered the police station, ransacked the premises and set it on fire. The seized cannabis, weapons and a vehicle was also set ablaze during the rampage.
IG (Southern Range) Satyabrata Bhoi had told the media that the allegations against the cops were being looked into. He further added that cannabis mafia was among the agitators and strict action will be taken against the culprits.
