Bhubaneswar: An inspector-rank official of Odisha Police, who was on the run for his alleged links with drug peddlers in Balasore district, was arrested today.

The Crime Branch sleuths nabbed Dhaneswar Sahu, the former Inspector In-Charge (IIC) of Jaleswar police station in Balasore, from his residence in Narasinghapur area of Cuttack district today. He was on the run for last four years, sources said.

Sahu was allegedly in regular touch with some brown sugar peddlers during his tenure as Jaleswar police IIC in 2020. A purported audio clip of Sahu’s conversation with the drug peddlers went viral in the locality.

Subsequently, Sahu had been transferred to the headquarters of Balasore police.

Taking the allegations seriously, the Director General of Police (DGP) in Odisha had put Sahu under suspension and ordered a Crime Branch probe in this regard.

However, Sahu had absconded soon after the probe was initiated against him.

On a tip-off, the Crime Branch officials today raided Sahu’s residence at Narasinghpur and nabbed him, sources added.