Madhya Pradesh: Six cops from Malhargarh station found guilty of framing teen in false drug case
BHOPAL: Cops from Malhargarh police station in western Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district had reportedly kidnapped an 18-year-old student in August 2025 and then arrested him in a fake case of opium smuggling.
The revelations came to the fore on Tuesday during the hearing of the petition filed by Sohan’s family in the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore Bench – four months after the illegal arrest and framing of the teenager in the false case related to seizure of 2.7 kg opium.
Contrary to earlier statements of Mandsaur authorities about no foul play in the matter which as per them was a major narcotics seizure related arrest, the present Mandsaur district police superintendent Vinod Kumar Meena admitted before the HC’s division bench in Indore on Tuesday, that the FIR didn’t match the actual time and location, which were already captured in the video.
The SP Mandsaur further submitted before the HC that the entire operation was led by a head constable of Malhargarh police and the case was registered against the teenager while he was already in illegal custody. Also, the probe by Malhargarh police wasn’t carried out in pursuance of due legal procedure.
The Mandsaur district police chief further confirmed to the HC that the cops seen boarding the bus (from which the teenager was picked) were actually staff of Malhargarh police station – a submission which was contrary to the earlier statements of the cops in Mandsaur district in which those plain-clothed cops were disowned as Malhargarh police station staff.
The SP-Mandsaur Vinod Kumar Meena further informed the court that six cops, including those who dragged Sohan out of the bus, have been suspended and a departmental inquiry instituted against them.
As the High Court has reserved its order in the matter, legal experts expect stern action in the matter.
“The 18-year-old teenager was granted bail by the Court on December 5, while stating that he was kidnapped from the bus and then framed up in a false case related to 2.7 opium seizure. The young teenager was a promising student who had passed Class XII with first division marks. On the HC’s directions, the SP-Mandsaur personally appeared before the Court on Tuesday. The district police chief admitted that the entire operation by Malhargarh wasn’t in accordance with law,” High Court advocate Manish Thakur said.
“The court also questioned the SP-Mandsaur about the previous statements of the investigation officer in the case, Sanjay Pratap Singh, who had submitted that those seen entering the bus four months back, weren’t police personnel. The SP admitted before the Court that those cops seen entering the bus were the staff of Malhargarh police station and all the six cops who were involved in the entire illegal operation and registering of the case and arrest of the youngster have been suspended and a departmental probe ordered against them. The HC has reserved the verdict in the matter,” Thakur added.
The matter dates back to August 29, 2025 when the 18-year-old student was dragged out of a bus in Malhargarh police station area of Mandsaur district. Few hours later, the Malhargarh police claimed that he had been arrested after being caught with 2.7 kg of opium. He was produced before a local court the next day and sent to jail in the NDPS Act case.
The CCTV grabs, mobile phone videos and witnesses’ statements, however, told a completely different story. In the quest of justice for their son, the 18-year-old promising student’s family knocked at MP HC’s doors in Indore, which led to the grant of bail to him on December 5.