In a bizarre turn of events, a senior police officer in Kerala's Wayanad district has become the subject of a theft investigation after seven bags of banned tobacco products vanished from a police station evidence room. The officer, identified as Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith, has been untraceable since the discovery, raising serious questions about internal security and accountability.

Key facts

  • Seven bags of banned tobacco products stolen from Sultan Bathery police station
  • Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith suspected in the theft
  • Officer has been missing since September 13, 2026
  • Evidence room lock was intact, suggesting access with a key

The Disappearing Evidence

The tobacco products were originally seized on June 7 from an individual at Dhottappankulam near Sultan Bathery. After being presented before a Magistrate Court, the contraband was ordered to be stored at the police station, where it was placed in a dedicated evidence room. For three months, the bags sat undisturbed—until they didn't.

On September 10, during a routine inspection, officials made an unsettling discovery: all seven bags had disappeared. The room's lock showed no signs of forced entry, pointing toward someone with authorized access.

The Vanishing Act

Police immediately launched an investigation, reviewing CCTV footage from the station. What they found was startling: footage allegedly showed Officer Sabith entering the evidence room and removing the products. When a police team visited his home on September 13, he was nowhere to be found.

"Attempts to contact him also failed, raising suspicion that he had gone absconding," police said.

The mystery deepens as authorities work to determine Sabith's motives. Was this an attempt to help the original accused in the tobacco case? Or was the officer looking to profit from the black market? Until he's found and questioned, these questions will linger.

Ongoing Investigation

A DySP-rank officer has been assigned to lead the theft case investigation. Police are actively searching for Sabith while examining how such a security breach could occur within a supposedly secure evidence storage facility. The incident has exposed concerning vulnerabilities in evidence handling procedures that now demand urgent attention.