Agartala, May 25: The Crime Branch of Tripura Police has submitted a charge sheet against six individuals, including one absconding accused, before a special court in West Tripura district in connection with a major Phensedyl smuggling case, officials said on May 24.
The case relates to the seizure of nearly 1.07 lakh bottles of Phensedyl, estimated to be worth around Rs 2 crore, from an Agartala-bound express train at Jirania railway station in October last year.
Phensedyl, a prescription cough syrup containing codeine, is often misused as an addictive substance. The large-scale seizure had attracted significant attention and sparked political debate in the state following the incident.
According to police, the investigation was initially handled by the Government Railway Police and the Special Task Force before being transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation.
During the probe, investigators arrested five people from different parts of the country. The arrested accused were identified as Rajib Dasgupta and transporter Arun Kumar Ghosh from Agartala, Himangshu Bai and Sourav Tyagi from Delhi, and Deep Prakash Gupta from Uttar Pradesh.
Police stated that the alleged mastermind of the network, Apurba Ranjan Das of Boxanagar in Sepahijala district, remains absconding.
Officials said the charge sheet against all six accused, including the absconding individual, was submitted after completion of the investigation.
The investigating agency has also requested a custodial trial, maintaining that the accused could attempt to influence judicial proceedings if granted release.
