New Delhi — The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a First Information Report against unidentified officers of the Border Security Force and others, launching an investigation into allegations that official records were manipulated in a 2008 smuggling case that resulted in the dismissal of two constables.
The case stems from petitions filed by the constables, B. Venkataswamy and Tarsem Singh, who have argued that they were falsely implicated after reporting a seizure during their deployment along the India–Bangladesh border. Acting on directions from the Delhi High Court, the agency has begun examining whether official documents were altered in a manner that led to disciplinary proceedings against the two men.
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Allegations of Fabricated Evidence
According to the petitioners, the sequence of events began on December 26, 2008, when they were posted on operational duty at the Dayarampur border post in West Bengal. The constables have stated that during their patrol they seized 75 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup from a suspect who fled the scene.
Phensedyl, which contains codeine, is frequently trafficked across the India–Bangladesh border due to its high demand in illicit markets. The constables said they reported the seizure to their superior officers in accordance with protocol.
However, the petitioners later alleged that instead of initiating appropriate legal action, certain senior officers manipulated official records. They claimed the alterations were intended to fabricate evidence suggesting that the constables themselves had concealed and smuggled the contraband.
Court-Martial and Dismissal
Following internal reports, the two constables were tried by a Summary Security Force Court under provisions of the BSF Act. The court found them guilty and ordered their dismissal from service on May 5, 2009.
Their subsequent appeal to the force’s Appellate Authority was rejected, effectively exhausting internal remedies within the paramilitary structure. For years, the disciplinary action remained in place.
The petitioners later approached the courts, arguing that the proceedings had relied on manipulated records and that the investigation into the original seizure had been improperly handled.
High Court Flags Discrepancies
In an order dated September 8, 2025, the Delhi High Court observed that there was sufficient material to form a prima facie view that the matter warranted a deeper investigation.
The court pointed to discrepancies in the official documentation surrounding the case. Notably, it recorded that two different Roznamchas — daily diary entries maintained as part of official records — had been produced in separate proceedings for the same day and incident.
The presence of multiple diary entries relating to the same event raised questions about possible record tampering, the court noted, adding that the surrounding circumstances justified a detailed probe.
CBI Steps In
Following the High Court’s directions, the CBI registered an FIR against unknown BSF officers and others to investigate the allegations. The agency is expected to examine the authenticity of the records, including the Roznamchas, and determine whether evidence was manipulated during the initial inquiry.
Investigators are also likely to review the sequence of administrative actions that led to the disciplinary proceedings and subsequent dismissal of the two constables.
The probe now seeks to establish whether official documentation in the case was altered and, if so, who may have been responsible for the alleged fabrication of records more than a decade after the original incident occurred.
