Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a major embarrassment for Narcotics Unit, a 22-year-old drug suspect managed to escape from custody on Thursday morning—despite being handcuffed.
Salman Pathan of Sutarpura in Jaora (Ratlam) was arrested on Wednesday from MR-10 Road, Indore, with 53 grams of MD drugs, reportedly worth over ₹50 lakh in the international market. He was in the city to sell the contraband to a local buyer.
The suspect was being held at the Narcotics Unit office for formalities and further legal action when he somehow managed to slip out of handcuffs and escape. The incident has raised serious questions about the security and vigilance by officials on duty.
DIG (Narcotics) Mahesh Chand Jain told Free Press that Salman escaped from the custody of two head constables, Pankaj and Om Rathore. Both were laer suspended for negligence, and a departmental inquiry initiated to determine how such a serious lapse occurred.
A reward of ₹10,000 had been announced for information on Salman. A case was also registered with Palasia police station under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Teams from both Palasia police and the Narcotics Unit have launched a manhunt for him.
Sources said that the suspect’s escape was all the more alarming given the high value of the seized drugs and the implication of an organised trafficking link.
