Tripura cops arrested for tampering seized narcotics in Khowai district
Synopsis
Four Tripura Police personnel — including an Inspector — are under arrest after CCTV footage allegedly caught them removing 245 bottles of seized codeine-based cough syrup from a police station before formal seizure procedures were completed. It is the second major police misconduct case in Tripura within a single week, raising pointed questions about internal accountability in the force.
Key Takeaways
Tripura Police arrested four personnel on 26 May 2025 over alleged tampering with a seized narcotics consignment in Khowai district .
The accused — Inspector Ajit Debbarma , Sub-Inspector Rajendra Reang , Sub-Inspector Sampa Das , and ASI Sachindra Debbarma — have all been suspended.
CCTV footage from Teliamura police station allegedly shows 245 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup (100 ml each) removed before formal seizure was recorded.
The original intercept on 20 May 2025 recovered over 6,000 bottles of the codeine-based syrup, a quantity classified as commercial quantity under the NDPS Act.
Cases registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the NDPS Act, 1985 ; arrests ordered by DGP Tripura, Anurag .
This follows a separate Tripura police misconduct case last week involving a viral cash-display video in Dhalai district .
Tripura Police on Monday, 26 May 2025, arrested four police personnel — including an Inspector and a woman Sub-Inspector — over alleged tampering with a seized narcotic consignment in the state's Khowai district. The arrests follow CCTV evidence reportedly showing the accused removing bottles of banned cough syrup from a police station before formal seizure procedures were completed.
Who Was Arrested
The four arrested personnel are Inspector Ajit Debbarma, Sub-Inspector Rajendra Reang, Sub-Inspector Sampa Das, and Assistant Sub-Inspector (Special Branch) Sachindra Debbarma. All four were posted in Khowai district. Inspector Ajit Debbarma was serving as the second Officer-in-Charge of Teliamura police station at the time of the incident.
How the Tampering Came to Light
The chain of events began on 20 May 2025, when personnel from Teliamura police station intercepted a vehicle during a routine patrol and recovered what media reports described as over 6,000 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup — each containing 100 ml — a codeine-based product frequently misused as a narcotic substance across India, neighbouring Bangladesh, and several other countries.
A subsequent review of CCTV footage from Teliamura police station reportedly revealed that a substantial portion of the consignment was removed from the General Duty room before the formal seizure and official recording process was completed. Preliminary examination of the footage indicated that around 245 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup — each of 100 ml — were allegedly dishonestly removed and concealed by the accused personnel. The seizure officer allegedly failed to account for the full consignment during the formal process.
Legal Action and Suspension
A criminal case was registered immediately after the alleged irregularities came to light, and an investigation was launched. All four personnel have been departmentally suspended. They were produced before a local court on Monday with a plea for police remand.
Cases have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The quantity of syrup allegedly removed falls under the category of commercial quantity as defined under the NDPS Act — a classification that carries significantly harsher penalties.
What the Police Said
According to officials, the criminal cases were registered on the direction of Director General of Police (DGP), Tripura, Anurag. 'Departmentally, all four police personnel have been suspended. All four accused have also been arrested and produced before a local court on Monday with a plea for police remand,' an official stated. Tripura Police reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and misappropriation involving its own personnel, adding that the matter is being investigated impartially and expeditiously.
A Wider Pattern in Tripura
This is the second major police misconduct case to emerge from Tripura within a week. Last week, four persons — including police personnel, a health department employee, and the wife of a police constable — were arrested and three others suspended in connection with a viral video showing a woman displaying a large amount of cash at her residence in the state's Dhalai district. The back-to-back incidents have intensified scrutiny of internal accountability mechanisms within the Tripura Police force.
Point of View
Suggesting familiarity with procedural blind spots. That CCTV caught what human oversight missed raises the uncomfortable question of how many similar incidents go unrecorded. Tripura Police's swift arrests and invocation of zero-tolerance rhetoric are necessary, but they are reactive. The deeper accountability failure — how a commercial-quantity narcotics haul could be partially stripped before formal seizure — points to systemic gaps in chain-of-custody protocols that a suspension order alone will not fix.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were four Tripura Police personnel arrested on 26 May 2025?
They were arrested for allegedly tampering with a seized consignment of Eskuf cough syrup — a codeine-based narcotic — at Teliamura police station in Khowai district. CCTV footage reportedly showed them removing around 245 bottles before the formal seizure process was completed.
What is Eskuf cough syrup and why is it classified as a narcotic?
Eskuf cough syrup contains Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride, substances frequently misused as narcotics in India, Bangladesh, and several other countries. It is banned for unregulated sale and seizures of commercial quantities are prosecuted under the NDPS Act, 1985.
What charges have been filed against the arrested officers?
Cases have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The quantity allegedly removed — 245 bottles of 100 ml each — falls under the commercial quantity threshold, which carries harsher penalties under the NDPS Act.
Who ordered the criminal cases to be registered?
The criminal cases were registered on the direction of Director General of Police (DGP), Tripura, Anurag, following the seizure tampering incident at Teliamura police station.
Is this an isolated incident or part of a broader pattern in Tripura?
It is the second significant police misconduct case in Tripura within a week. The previous case involved four arrests and three suspensions linked to a viral video showing a woman displaying large amounts of cash at her home in Dhalai district, with police personnel among those arrested.
