Former Munger additional SP in soup for not filing charge sheet in 2018 smuggling case

Munger range deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, before his transfer on June 19, recommended departmental proceedings against the then additional superintendent of police (SP) for his alleged failure in filing a charge sheet against two persons allegedly involved in smuggling of 22 AK-47 rifles from the Central Ordnance Depot (COD) in Jabalpur in September 2018

Munger range deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, before his transfer on June 19, recommended departmental proceedings against the then additional superintendent of police (SP) for his alleged failure in filing a charge sheet against two persons allegedly involved in smuggling of 22 AK-47 rifles from the Central Ordnance Depot (COD) in Jabalpur in September 2018.

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According to the then DIG Shafiqul Haque, additional SP Harishankar Rai, currently posted in Jehanabad, had failed to file a charge sheet in four separate cases lodged with Muffasil police station against arms smugglers in the stipulated period of 90 days.

One of the accused Mohammad Parvez Chand alias Bholu, district president of the youth RJD, was arrested from Mirzapur village of Munger on April 19, 2019. He allegedly smuggled SLR rifles during the years 1992-1995. From the year 2000, he started smuggling AK 47. According to police sources, Parvez used to hide the smuggled rifles at his home to keep them out of police reach. He used to charge a hefty amount from smugglers in return. His name came to the limelight when police arrested one Mohammad Imran with three AK 47 guns in Jamalpur.

Police said that the accused were booked under Sections of IPC, Arms Act and Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Shafiqul said that due to the non-submission of the charge sheet, two of the accused got relief under Section 167 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code and were released on bail from the court.

“The accused were entitled to claim bail as the police had failed to file the charge sheet within the stipulated period,” said senior advocate Shashikant of Patna session court.

Munger police busted the racket and registered a case against 32 named accused and some unknown persons under the leadership of then SP Babu Ram. Police had recovered 22 AK-47 assault rifles and more than 500 spare parts stolen from the COD. The NIA in October 2018 took over the case from the Bihar Police on the Union Home Ministry’s orders and has arrested 15 accused in the case so far.

Earlier, Munger DIG recommended departmental proceedings against the then Sheikhpura SP Daya Shankar and SDPO Amit Sharan for their alleged involvement in protecting the accused officers who fraudulently transferred over ₹50 lakh, meant for payment as increments to other policemen across the district between January 2015 and October 2018, into their accounts.