Two police personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district have been suspended after they were allegedly found intoxicated near a bus stand in Ambikapur on Monday morning, with an INSAS service rifle lying unattended nearby.
Two police personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district have been suspended after they were allegedly found intoxicated near a bus stand in Ambikapur on Monday morning, with an INSAS service rifle lying unattended nearby, raising serious concerns over weapon security and police conduct.
The suspended personnel have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Prakash Ekka and constable Rishikant Tripathi. The two had been dispatched from Durg on October 17 to escort a prisoner to Ambikapur Central Jail.
According to police, the prisoner was lodged in the jail on October 18, following which the two personnel headed to the bus stand to return to Durg.
However, on Monday morning, local residents spotted the policemen lying near a roadside kiosk in an apparently intoxicated condition. The ASI’s INSAS rifle was reportedly found lying unattended close to them, raising questions about the handling and security of the service weapon.
Bystanders recorded videos of the incident, which later circulated on social media, drawing attention to the alleged misconduct.
Rifle secured, senior officers order suspension
After receiving information from local residents, police personnel from the bus stand outpost rushed to the spot and took the rifle into safe custody.
Surguja Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Agrawal subsequently informed Durg SP Vijay Agrawal about the incident. Following the report, the Durg SP suspended both personnel and attached them to the police lines pending further departmental action.
The incident has sparked serious concerns over police discipline and firearm security, particularly as the personnel had been deployed on an official prisoner-escort assignment and were carrying a service weapon.
A departmental inquiry is expected to establish how the rifle was left unattended and determine whether the two personnel had consumed alcohol while still on duty.
Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.
