Gangtok, May 22: A 54-year-old man from Sikkim allegedly lost consciousness after boarding a taxi in Gangtok and regained awareness nearly two days later at a railway station in Odisha, around 800 kilometres away, with cash amounting to ₹7 lakh and personal belongings missing.
According to police, the man, a resident of Geyzing district, had travelled to Gangtok on April 15 for work-related purposes. He had parked his vehicle near Minister Quarter before boarding a taxi towards Tadong while carrying a handbag containing ₹7 lakh in cash.
Investigators suspect that the victim may have been drugged during the journey. Police believe an intoxicating or sedative substance may have been mixed into food or a beverage consumed by him inside the vehicle, causing him to lose consciousness shortly after boarding.
Officials said the man remained unaware of his surroundings for nearly two days before regaining consciousness at Cuttack Railway Station. When he regained awareness, his cash and belongings were reportedly missing and he was unable to remember how he had reached Odisha.
After waking up, he approached the Government Railway Police in Cuttack for help. Authorities arranged medical assistance and recorded his statement before initiating legal action.
Police said a Zero FIR was registered by the Government Railway Police in Cuttack on May 20 and later transferred to the concerned jurisdiction. The case has now been registered at Sadar Police Station as FIR No. 45/2026 under Section 305(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unidentified individuals.
Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the route allegedly used by the accused, identify those involved and recover the missing money. Officials are also examining whether an organised criminal network targeting travellers carrying large sums of cash may be linked to the incident.
Police said the case has once again raised concerns over crimes involving sedative substances allegedly used against unsuspecting travellers and urged the public to avoid accepting food or drinks from strangers during travel.
Further investigation is underway.
