Barabanki, Jul 30 (IANS): An FIR has been lodged in connection with 22 items that were seized by the Lonikatra police in Barabanki and kept in safe custody at the police station but went missing in 2020.

A case of theft has been lodged against a late head in charge of the strong room in connection with the incident. The said in-charge had died in an accident on February 4, 2020.

Late on Saturday, Lonikatra SHO Ajay Tripathi was removed and sent to the lines, while Ankit Tripathi was made new SHO of the area.

On October 9, 2020, when the locks of the Malkhana (strong room) were opened and items checked, 22 items were found missing.

Barabanki superintendent of police Dinesh Singh said that a probe into missing items found that these were the properties of five cases: an NDPS Act case, murder, attempt to murder, Prevention of Corruption Act, Cow Slaughter Act, Loot and Arms Act cases.

A total of 455 grams of morphine, six country-made pistols were among other things found missing.

“The missing commodities were received on behalf of the head in-charge Narendra Kumar Verma and were to be kept in the Malkhana. Hence, he has been named in the FIR,” said Singh.

Singh added that after Verma died in February 2020, due to a case-related work, the locks of the Malkhana were opened in October 2020.

“A committee was formed comprising a tehsildar, a deputy SP, and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) as the case properties belong to the government,” said Singh.

The committee submitted its report to the Barabanki district magistrate, following which, an FIR was registered.

Now that the FIR has been registered, a legal probe will be conducted into the case, said the police.

According to the sources in the police, the missing items were worth Rs 50 lakh.