Mumbai: Cop on the run after audio clip of him talking to druglord found

MUMBAI: A sub-inspector attached to the Nalasopara police station has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) for his alleged links with the drug mafia.

The sub-inspector, who is allegedly absconding, has been suspended by the Palghar superintendent of police Gaurav Singh. The matter came to light following the arrest of a drug lord, Etesham Ansari (42), and his accomplice, Mustaq Khan (19), who were caught selling 39 gm "brown sugar" in Hanuman Nagar, Nalasopara.

While examining Ansari's cellphone, the police stumbled upon voice recordings of conversations between the sub-inspector and Ansari about the drug trade. The conversations were recorded before Ansari's arrest, said an officer. A source said the recordings indicate the PSI was in the know of the drug peddling, however, he was unaware about the conversations being recorded by Ansari.

Officials said that despite knowing about the drug peddling, the PSI did nothing to stop it and instead encouraged the criminals. It is not known whether the inspector derived any monetary benefit.

The sources added that more clips have been retrieved from Ansari's cellphone and voices of few more police officers have been identified.