Representational image | Pixabay
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New Delhi: The Manipur government has withdrawn the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Gallantry 2020 to Sub-Inspector Bheishamayum Debson Singh after the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) pointed out that Debson had been arrested in 2013 in a drug trafficking case.

Singh, of the Imphal East Police Station, was conferred the award on 13 August for his “outstanding contribution” towards the force. He was among 13 other police personnel to receive the gallantry award.

The AMSU, in a statement Sunday, said Singh was arrested in connection with the smuggling of drugs worth over Rs 3 crore. It also said that he was among 11 Manipur Police commandos who were arrested while trying to smuggle strips of Respifed and Pseudoephedrine tablets on their way to Moreh.

The students’ body expressed outrage and questioned the rationale behind Singh’s selection for the award.

“AMSU cannot understand how the chief minister who eloquently elaborated on the issue of ‘war against drugs’ during his official gallantry award address on the Independence Day ceremony could confer to such police personnel caught red-handed for drug trafficking,” read the statement.

Soon after, another statement was released by Rehanuddin Choudhury, joint secretary, home department, Manipur, saying Singh’s award had been withdrawn.

A preliminary inquiry has been initiated while Singh has also been suspended from duty for concealing the pending drugs case against him.

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Case under Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act

A 2013 report said that Singh and the Manipur Police commandos were caught smuggling drugs by another police team from Thoubal. At the time, Singh and his group were in two gypsies in full-uniform and carrying service guns provided by the state government.

A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and 27 Arms Act was registered against the 11 of them.

Inspector E. Roshan Singh, who had carried out the process of referring Singh’s name for the gallantry medal, has also been put under suspension. An inquiry committee, headed by Radheshyam Singh, IGP (Intelligence), has been constituted to carry out a probe into the matter.

This comes a month after Manipur police ASP Thounaojam Brinda had told the state high court that CM Biren Singh had “pressurised her” to release an alleged drug baron, Lhukhosei Zhou.

 

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