5 policemen suspended for ‘colluding’ with smugglers in Assam

Silchar (Assam): Five Assam Police agents have been suspended for alleged links with betel nut smugglers in Assam’s Cachar district, officials said on Monday. Cachar SP Numal Mahatta suspended five agents for allowing smuggled goods to pass through the district. The police were deployed at the control post at Digorkhal and were part of the Mishra Police Check Center at the Assam-Meghalaya interstate border, a district police officer said. He said, a truck loaded with snow was able to cross the roads of Shibnagar with the help of this private policeman. ‘This truck belonged to two alleged smugglers. “After crossing the gate, the cargo officer of Gumra Commissionerate chased the vehicle and stopped it near the Meghalaya border,” he said. The police arrested the driver who took them to the traffickers. Both the bootleggers were arrested on Saturday night and when they tried to take them into custody, one of them was shot by the police, the officer said. “After interrogation, it was found that the truck had passed with the help of police personnel. These five agents were arrested on Saturday night and taken to Silchar commissionerate,” he said. As per rules, he was suspended on Sunday. Additional Superintendent of Police Subrata Sen later told PTI that a police agent was seriously injured in the riot that broke out while arresting liquor smugglers and is undergoing treatment at Silchar Hospital and Medical Faculty.