Suspended over Ganja mafia links, Astarang IIC ‘vanishes’ from Police custody

A major controversy has erupted in Odisha Police after Astarang police station Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Rajesh Baliarsingh, suspended for his alleged links with ganja traffickers, reportedly slipped out of custody.

According to reports, the Inspector General of Police had placed Baliarsingh under suspension following allegations that he maintained connections with ganja syndicates. His name first surfaced years ago when he was serving as a Sub-Inspector at Jeypore Town police station, where complaints were raised about showing leniency towards narcotics networks.

Questioning at Capital Police Station

Recently, Baliarsingh was brought to the Capital police station in Bhubaneswar for interrogation by a team from Koraput. The district police had camped in the city for two days to investigate the charges, said reports.

On Friday, he was subjected to detailed questioning at the station. However, within hours, reports emerged that he had managed to leave the premises unnoticed.

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Raids to Trace the Officer

Sources confirmed that a search operation was carried out at his Bhubaneswar residence late last night in an attempt to locate him. Police teams are reportedly conducting raids at multiple locations to trace his whereabouts, though no official statement has been issued either by the senior police officials or by the officer himself.

The development has triggered concerns, particularly as the case involves allegations of collusion with narcotics mafias. As of now, the whereabouts of the suspended inspector remain unknown, and efforts to track him are underway, sources said.