A jailed, suspended Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) was operating a drug racket sitting right in the Central Jail Nagpur. The shocking information came to fore when a MCOCA accused was busted by a prison constable for smuggling ganja (Marijuana) and mobile phone batteries into the jail, police officials said.

The Dhantoli Police have booked eight persons including suspended PSI (Gadchiroli range) Pradip Nitnawne and MCOCA accused Suraj Kanhaiyalal Kawle (22), a resident of Khaperkheda on various charges including criminal conspiracy. Other accused in the case are Suraj’s brother Shubham Kawle, his friend Suraj Waghmare, drug smuggler Moreshwar Sonwane, Mukesh Babu Panjabrao Naydu, Bhagirath Thardayal and Arthav Khatakhti, a member of the notorious Sheikhu gang.

PSI Nitnawne was suspended in July when he was booked under rape charges by Sitabuldi police. Elaborating on the role of PSI Nitnawne in the drug trafficking case, a police official said that a mobile phone was in possession of Suraj Kawle. The PSI and Kawle were in the same barrack of the jail. The suspended police officer was using the phone in the jail secretly and speaking to his relatives and friends. Rs 45,000 were delivered to Kawale’s friend in Nagpur after PSI Nitnawne’s phone to his friend from the jail. The cash was used to purchase ganja and mobile phone batteries, the official said.

Kawale’s brother Shubham Kawle and Bhagirath Thardayal gave a file to Suraj Kawle when he was produced in the court on Monday. Kawle returned to the jail at 1.30 pm. He was carrying a file of documents in his hand. When he was entering the jail from the main entrance gate, Prison constable Ramdas Kawle grew suspicious of him due to the weight of the file. Upon checking the file, Ramdas was surprised as the Ganja packets and mobile batteries were hidden between two pages in the file and the pages were pasted, according to Jail Superintendent Anup Kumre.

A total of 51 grams of ganja was found in three packets along with 15 batteries. The material was seized by the Dhantoli police.