Silent on the quantity of gold seized on Sept 10
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 22
A day after Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton praised the Nagaland Police for affecting, reportedly, the biggest catch of smuggled gold in the history of the state, controversy courted the state police in connection to a previous gold catch.
As reported in the news, on October 3, Narcotic police personnel posted at the Khuzama inter-state check-post confiscated smuggled gold weighing 48.14kg worth over Rs 22cr.
It later emerged that there was another gold catch made earlier on September 10. This incident however was not made public and came to light only on October 22.
Subsequently, the same day, the Nagaland Police Headquarters issued a clarification stating that the reports about “seized gold biscuits” going missing were erroneous. As stated in the release, “misinformation and misinterpretation of events.”
Terming the social media reports that “some seized gold biscuits kept in Police custody had gone missing and a case registered against 13 Police Personnel” as “incorrect,” the release stated that the matter pertains to a separate incident on September 10, 2021, wherein, 13 police personnel from Narcotic Police Station “misappropriated 10 gold bars without following due procedures.”
In connection to the supposed misappropriation, it said, “A criminal case has been registered against the 13 (thirteen) erring personnel at State Crime PS vide SCPS Case No. 005/2021 U/S 120B/420/419/201/202/217/221 IPC, dated 17th September 2021.
Further, all the 13 personnel as named accused in the case No. 005/2021 are placed under suspension and a disciplinary enquiry is being constituted for the misconduct.”
On the October 3 catch, it said that a different criminal case involving 290 gold bars weighing approximately 48.14 Kg was detected and recovered by another team of Narcotic Cell PS at Narcotic Check Point, Khuzama. “In this connection, 2 accused persons have been arrested and a separate case registered at State Crime PS vide SCPS Case No. 006/2021 U/S 414/37 IPC, dated 05th October 2021,” it added.
As per the release, the seized items (gold) made in both criminal cases were still in police custody and “there is no question of disappearance/missing of the seized gold. Both cases are under investigation and the matter is sub-judice.”
Unanswered questions
The press release however left certain questions unanswered. It did not specify the quantity of ‘gold’ reportedly seized on September 10 and the people arrested in connection to the case.
According to reliable sources, though not officially acknowledged by the PHQ, the police higher ups came to know of the September 10 catch only a few days later.
Further queried on status of the confiscated gold, the PHQ responded that it will be handed over to the court once the investigation is completed.
