Padari police went to Devahi village to examine Mithu Prasad after receiving a complaint accusing him of selling ganja, the Hindi word for cannabis.[1] Officers searched his shop and home and questioned him there.[2] Police said they found about two lakh rupees in cash during the check.[2] One constable counted the notes openly in front of everyone while another recorded the counting on a mobile phone to avoid later claims that police had taken money.[2] Police then returned the full amount to Prasad and his family, a return Prasad confirmed in a video statement.[2]

A clip of the counting later circulated on social media with claims that Padari officers had taken money from the alleged ganja smuggler.[2] Superintendent of Police Aparna Rajat Kaushik had the video examined and said it showed only the counting of cash found during the raid.[2] She suspended Padari constables Himanku Mishra and Sudhir Kumar for making the video and sharing it irresponsibly.[2] Hindustan spelled the first constable’s first name as Himanshu.[1]

She said the out-of-context circulation had tarnished the police image and handed further inquiry to Additional Superintendent of Police City Yogendra Singh.[2] Police later summoned Prasad to the station for detailed questioning.[2] Amar Ujala reported that a trafficking first information report, the police complaint that opens a criminal case, was then registered.[2] Hindustan instead reported that he was released after questioning at the station.[1] Hindustan dates the cash-counting video to 23 October.[1]