Baripada: Two police personnel have been suspended for allegedly leaking confidential information about an anti-cattle smuggling raid in Mayurbhanj district, enabling suspects to evade action, officials said on Sunday.
The action comes after a preliminary inquiry into a special operation conducted on June 13 under the direction of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Eastern Range, as part of a statewide crackdown on illegal cattle smuggling networks.
According to officials, simultaneous raids were planned at two locations under Jharpokharia Police Station. While one raid yielded results, the other did not lead to any recovery, despite specific intelligence inputs, raising suspicion that the suspects had been alerted in advance.
The inquiry reportedly found that sensitive details of the planned operation were leaked from within the police system to members of a cattle smuggling network.
Based on the findings, the Superintendent of Police ordered the suspension of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ranjit Nayak and Constable Ashish Nayak, both posted at Jharpokharia Police Station.
In addition, Home Guard Subrat Padhi has been served a show-cause notice asking him to explain his role in the matter within 30 days. Officials said he was allegedly aware of police station activities linked to the operation.
Confirming the development, Additional Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Gochhayat said the action was taken on the basis of reports submitted by the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO). He added that departmental proceedings against the suspended personnel would continue.
Meanwhile, police have intensified efforts to trace members of the alleged cattle smuggling network who are currently absconding. Surveillance has been stepped up to monitor their movements and gather further intelligence.
The June 13 operation was part of a coordinated statewide drive conducted across Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Balasore districts against illegal cattle smuggling. During the raids, police reportedly seized cash, gold and silver ornaments worth several lakhs, along with documents related to land and property transactions from suspected smugglers’ premises.
Further investigation into the alleged leak and the wider smuggling network is underway, officials said.
