Sambalpur: An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Police has been suspended after being caught stealing seized cough syrup from the storeroom of the Sambalpur Town Police Station.
Sources said the ASI, identified as Bidyut Panda, allegedly stole two cartons of cough syrup, which had been previously confiscated during an anti-drug operation by the police.
The contraband had been stored in the station’s evidence room after being seized in large quantities by the police. The theft came to light following an internal complaint, prompting a swift departmental investigation.
Acting on the complaint, officials conducted a probe and recovered the missing cartons of cough syrup from Panda’s possession. The evidence recovery confirmed the allegations, leading to his immediate suspension from duty.
Sources revealed that Panda had only recently been promoted before this incident occurred, which has added to the embarrassment for the local police force.
