News Life Network Desk, Patna, April 10th 2025: Katihar police has once again come under intense public scrutiny, this time due to an explosive audio clip involving former station in-charge Uma Shankar. The leaked audio, now going viral across the district, clearly reveals a conversation between the officer and a cattle smuggler involving a financial transaction.
The audio suggests a deal worth ₹50,000 was struck between the two, out of which ₹40,000 had already been paid to the station in-charge. In the same recording, Uma Shankar is allegedly heard threatening to jail the smuggler over the remaining ₹10,000. The audio leak has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious concerns about the credibility of law enforcement in the district.
Viral Audio:
The Smuggler-Mafia-Police-Stringer Nexus
According to sources, this incident is not an isolated one, nor limited to a single police station. The subdivision in question is reportedly entrenched in a nexus involving police officers, cattle smugglers, liquor mafias, and even some local news channel stringers. This well-oiled network allegedly operates like a parallel system where every stakeholder gains while law and order takes a backseat.
Sources further claim that Katihar’s Town Police Station is not untouched by this network. A senior police officer from the district is said to visit the station every evening, where he allegedly oversees the operation of this nexus. Disturbingly, local news channel stringers are also believed to play an active role—according to sources, not merely as silent observers, but as facilitators who sometimes use their media influence to suppress inconvenient facts and shield those involved.
Police Headquarters Orders Ignored?
The revelations have also cast doubt on the enforcement of a standing order issued by the police headquarters. The order mandates that every person entering a police station must be recorded in a visitor roster. The pressing question now is: are these smugglers, mafias, and stringers—who spend hours in the station daily—being officially registered?
If they are, what action has been taken based on those entries? And if they are not, why is the police force ignoring its own directives? According to sources, the lack of documentation points to deliberate oversight.
Serious concerns have also been raised about the regular evening presence of a particular senior officer at the Town Police Station. Investigators, as per local demand, must determine the purpose of his visits and the roles of those repeatedly seen in his company inside the police premises.
Katihar Police Under Repeated Fire
This is not the first time Katihar police has come under fire. According to sources, the department has faced repeated allegations of corruption, illegal extortion, and complicity in liquor and cattle smuggling. The common thread in all such cases, sources say, is the misuse of police authority for personal gain.
Residents of the area complain that justice in Katihar’s police stations now depends less on law and more on monetary exchange. Complaints are frequently ignored, and accused individuals are allegedly released after behind-the-scenes “settlements.”
What Do the Police Say?
When approached for comment, Katihar Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Sharma acknowledged the gravity of the viral audio and confirmed that an inquiry has been launched. “The authenticity of the audio is being examined. If any officer is found guilty, strict action will follow,” he said.
However, no immediate suspensions or departmental actions have been made public, prompting skepticism among locals, who fear that the matter may soon be hushed up.
Investigation or Whitewash?
It remains to be seen whether the inquiry will lead to meaningful action or become yet another case of bureaucratic whitewashing.
According to sources, this issue is not limited to one audio clip or one officer—it points to a deeply entrenched nexus involving multiple actors. Without bold and transparent action, the integrity of law enforcement in Katihar may be permanently compromised.
The people of Katihar now demand answers—not just promises of investigation, but real, visible action. If justice remains elusive, at the very least, the truth must come to light.
