Police officer, accused in theft of banned tobacco products, taken into custody 

WAYANAD: A police officer, who was absconding after stealing banned tobacco products from Sulthan Bathery police station, has been taken into custody. Senior civil police officer T Sabith of Sulthan Bathery Station was caught from Kalamassery in Ernakulam. He was apprehended on the tenth day after the incident.

He stole seven sacks of banned tobacco products kept as seized property from the station. The tobacco products were seized from Bathery on June 7 and were later produced before the court and then brought back and kept in the station safely.

The theft came to light on September 10 when the station writer and assistant writer came to clean the room. CCTV footage was examined and the theft was revealed.

Investigations revealed that Sabith unlocked the room using the key kept on the station writer's desk and moved the sacks into his vehicle. Consequently, Sabith turned off his mobile phone and absconded. Sabith then switched off his phone and went into hiding.