Patna Police Suspend 8 Personnel for Taking Bribes to Free Suspects

Integrity violations within the Patna police force have led to the immediate suspension of eight personnel after they were caught on the wrong side of an anti-corruption inquiry. The officers allegedly mishandled a drug trafficking case by accepting financial incentives to release additional detainees.

The sequence of events began on October 26 when officers operating in the Fullwaria Sharif jurisdiction received a confidential lead regarding illicit liquor and narcotic distribution. A coordinated raid was deployed, successfully catching 32-year-old Akib Khan, popularly known as Md. Sakib Khan, red-handed with contraband. He was booked under stringent provisions of the NDPS and Arms Acts, with police assigning him the case number 1867/26 before transferring him to judicial custody.

The raid also resulted in the temporary detention of Md. Aftab Alam and Md. Ehsaan. However, procedural norms were completely ignored as neither man was entered into the first information report, nor were their arrests logged for senior review.

Instead of following due process, the deployed team is accused of levying a heavy fine on the pair and processing their release through a personal bond. The shady transaction reportedly caused friction within the team over profit-sharing, leading to whistleblower disclosures that reached the highest ranks of the force.

A swift departmental review has since flagged five officers and three staff members for misconduct. Among those suspended are Assistant Sub-Inspector Divakar Prasad, Narad Muni Singh, Ritesh Kumar, Akash Kumar, Pawan Kumar, and three other supporting staff.

The ACP of Fullwaria Sharif is currently headlining the probe. Investigators have confirmed that the trail of evidence also implicates certain local residents who allegedly facilitated the illegal release, and their interrogation is actively progressing. A formal legal case has been filed, and strict administrative penalties are being prepared.