A high-profile anti-drugs operation once projected as a major success story by the Agar Malwa police in Madhya Pradesh has now taken a sensational turn.
An FIR has been registered in Rajasthan against nearly 100 known and unknown persons, including two Station House Officers from Madhya Pradesh, after a court raised serious questions over the January 2026 raid conducted in Ghatakhedi village under Dag police station limits in Jhalawar district.
The case was registered at Dag police station on Monday, following an order issued by the Chaumahla Court on June 13. Those named include Shashi Upadhyay, SHO of Agar Kotwali, Roop Singh, SHO of Barod, SI Rakhi Gurjar, ASI Ajay Jat, Rahul Vishwakarma, constable Shubham and several others. Police officials said the role of other accused persons will be examined during the investigation.
The controversy dates back to January 21, when Agar police arrested a man named Faizan, allegedly with 330 grams of MD drugs. During interrogation, he reportedly told police that he had procured the drugs from Shahir, Munawwar and Tahir of Ghatakhedi village in Rajasthan.
Based on this information, the Agar police conducted a raid on January 28 with a team of more than 80 personnel. The police claimed they had busted an alleged MD drug manufacturing setup and seized narcotics worth nearly Rs 5 crore, along with chemicals, machinery and other material allegedly used for manufacturing drugs. Two brothers, Shahir Khan and Munawwar alias Raja, were arrested.
At the time, the then Agar Malwa SP Vinod Kumar Singh held a press conference and described the operation as a major success. But the same operation has now come under a cloud, with serious questions being raised over the legality of the raid, the seizure process, the timeline of the operation and the involvement of the local Rajasthan Police.
One of the biggest questions relates to jurisdiction. It was claimed that Rajasthan Police was part of the operation, but the inquiry reportedly found that the local police had no prior knowledge of the raid. This has raised a major legal question how did a Madhya Pradesh police team conduct such a large Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances or NDPS operation in Rajasthan without proper local coordination?
The second major question concerns the seizure itself.
During the press conference, the then SP had claimed that two guns, a grinder machine and two drums were seized during the raid. However, questions were raised after some of the seized items allegedly appeared brand new. No clear explanation was given at the time.
The third and perhaps most damaging question concerns videography. SP Vinod Kumar Singh had stated that the operation was recorded through the e-Sakshya app. However, the inquiry reportedly found that no such videography had taken place. This has become a crucial point because NDPS operations require strict procedural compliance.
The timeline has also deepened suspicion. According to police records, Shahir was arrested at 4:40 am, Munawwar at 4:45 am and the seizure was completed at 5:40 am. But the inquiry, based on CCTV footage and other material, reportedly found that the Agar police team remained in the Dag police station area only until around 5:05 am.
This means the Madhya Pradesh police team was allegedly present at Ghatakhedi for only about 30 minutes. During this brief window, the police claimed to have conducted the search, made arrests, completed seizure proceedings and carried out other formalities. The inquiry has raised questions over whether such a detailed NDPS procedure could have legally and practically been completed in such a short time.
From the beginning, the family of the arrested accused had called the police action fabricated. Hamid Khan, father of the arrested men, alleged that the Madhya Pradesh Police entered their house without informing the local Rajasthan Police, misbehaved with family members and falsely implicated his sons in an NDPS case.
On February 21, Hamid Khan filed a formal complaint before the Chaumahla Court. The court then directed the Jhalawar Superintendent of Police to conduct an inquiry. The matter was assigned to Additional SP Bhagchand Meena, who visited Agar and recorded statements of several police personnel who had participated in the operation.
According to the inquiry report, several records related to search, arrest and seizure were not found. After examining the report and available evidence, the court ordered registration of an FIR. The case was then registered against around 100 police personnel and others at Dag police station.
Following the FIR, Agar Malwa SP Dilip Kumar Soni issued the first official response from the district police. Speaking to NDTV, he said full cooperation would be extended to the Rajasthan Police during investigation. He also clarified that the Agar Malwa police had already filed the charge sheet in the NDPS case and that the matter is currently sub judice.
The SP said all facts would now be examined within the framework of the judicial process and that the police department would cooperate with the investigating agencies.
The FIR has triggered concern in police and administrative circles in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. What was once projected as a major anti-drug operation has now become a serious legal battle involving allegations of procedural lapses, jurisdictional violations and questionable seizure records. Trouble may now mount for the officers and personnel named in the FIR. The Rajasthan Police will conduct a detailed investigation, and if the allegations are substantiated, further legal action could follow.
