The Tripura HC has ordered an independent Crime Branch probe into the alleged theft of nearly three kilograms of gold from a car while it was under police custody, after complainants alleged police refused to register their complaint and sought action against the personnel allegedly involved.
The Tripura High Court has directed an independent Crime Branch investigation into the alleged disappearance of nearly three kilograms of gold from a car while it was reportedly under police custody, following allegations that local police failed to register complaints despite repeated approaches by the complainants.
The matter came before a division bench of the Tripura High Court comprising Justice T Amarnath Goud and Justice S Datta Purkayastha. The bench directed that the case be properly registered and handed over to a competent officer of the Crime Branch for an independent investigation.
According to advocate Shankar Lodh, who represented the complainants, the alleged incident took place on February 21. The complainant, Billal Mia, was travelling with his brothers towards Agartala carrying gold ornaments that they intended to sell. Lodh said Mia urgently needed money because a family member was seriously ill.
According to the allegations presented before the court, the vehicle was stopped by personnel from Bishalgarh Police Station near Bishalgarh College. The occupants were allegedly kept waiting for several hours in the name of search and seizure. Lodh claimed that the vehicle was initially taken to an isolated location inside a tea plantation before being brought to Bishalgarh Police Station.
The complainants alleged that the vehicle was initially parked at a location covered by CCTV cameras. However, it was later moved to another location that was reportedly outside the surveillance range. During this period, the gold allegedly went missing from inside the vehicle.
Lodh alleged that two police personnel, identified in the petition as Panijoy Reang and Supratim Dey, were primarily involved in the alleged theft. He further alleged that circumstances raised questions about the possible involvement of the Officer-in-Charge of Bishalgarh Police Station. These allegations have not been established by a court and are subject to investigation.
The petitioners sought registration of an FIR against the Officer-in-Charge and the two other police personnel. They also requested immediate arrests and a comprehensive investigation to determine the whereabouts of the missing gold.
The complainants initially approached Bishalgarh Police Station after the alleged disappearance but claimed that their complaint was not recorded. They subsequently went to Sonamura Police Station, where they alleged that they faced a similar refusal.
A written complaint was later submitted to the office of the Superintendent of Police. According to the petition, the complaints were received on February 28 and March 3, but the petitioners alleged that an FIR was still not registered.
The petition also stated that Superintendent of Police, Sepahijala, Bijay Debbarma, had previously directed an Additional Superintendent of Police to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. However, the complainants claimed that the inquiry had made little progress.
After hearing the matter, the High Court ordered that the case be formally registered and entrusted to a competent Crime Branch officer. The court also stressed that the investigation should be conducted independently.
The latest judicial direction is expected to bring the allegations under a formal investigative process. The Crime Branch probe will now be tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s detention, the movement of the car, available CCTV footage, the alleged disappearance of the gold and the conduct of the police personnel named by the complainants.
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The investigation is also expected to establish whether the allegations against the police personnel have any evidentiary basis and determine the whereabouts of the allegedly missing gold.
