Two police personnel from Durg district were suspended after they were found allegedly intoxicated near the bus stand in Ambikapur, with an INSAS rifle belonging to one of them lying unattended nearby, according to a report by the Times of India.
Assistant sub-inspector Prakash Ekka and constable Rishikant Tripathi had travelled from Durg to Ambikapur on prisoner-escort duty. Police said the prisoner was lodged at Ambikapur central jail on October 18, after which the two personnel went to the bus stand to return to Durg.
Local residents found the two policemen lying near a roadside kiosk on Monday morning in an apparently intoxicated condition. The service INSAS rifle was also found close to them without supervision. Bystanders recorded videos of the incident, which later circulated on social media.
Residents informed the police outpost at the bus stand. A police team reached the location and secured the rifle, the report said. The weapon was subsequently taken into safe custody.
Surguja Superintendent of Police Rajesh Agrawal informed Durg Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal about the incident. The Durg SP then suspended both personnel and attached them to the police lines pending further departmental action.
The episode has placed weapon security and conduct during official deployment under scrutiny. The personnel had been assigned to escort a prisoner and were carrying a service firearm when they were found near a public transport location. Leaving the rifle unattended created a public-safety concern, particularly because the incident occurred in an area where residents and other commuters could access the weapon.
The departmental inquiry is expected to examine how the rifle was left unattended and whether the two personnel had consumed alcohol while still on duty. The supplied report does not establish the final findings of that inquiry or indicate what further disciplinary action may follow.
The immediate official actions reported so far are the recovery of the rifle, the suspension of both personnel and their attachment to the police lines. Further departmental proceedings will determine the accountability of the two personnel.
