Police Chief Arrested for Framing Journalists in Drug Case

Ajay Sonkar, the officer in charge of the Konta police station in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, has been arrested for allegedly framing four journalists in a Ganja smuggling case. The accusations extend to Sonkar's alleged deletion of CCTV footage from a hotel, raising concerns about the integrity of the investigation. The incident has drawn political scrutiny, particularly from Vikram Mandavi, the MLA from Bijapur, who claims that a BJP leader was present at the hotel during the time of the footage deletion. Mandavi has also alleged that large-scale sand smuggling is occurring in Konta, implicating BJP leaders in the illicit activities. He has called for stringent action against those involved in both the conspiracy and the sand smuggling operations. In response, Dharmiram Barse, the BJP District President of Sukma, accused Congress leaders of attempting to tarnish the reputation of the BJP and its members, asserting that there have been previous attempts to frame their leaders. The situation escalated with the arrest of Bappi Rai, President of the South Journalists’ Association, along with several others, under allegations of involvement in a Ganja smuggling racket. In light of these developments, journalists' associations have demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. Dharmendra Mahapatra, Secretary of the Bastar District Journalists' Association, announced plans for a memorandum to Home Minister Vijay Sharma, advocating for a thorough investigation and accountability for any implicated leaders.