The assistant sub-inspector who allegedly stole gold biscuits valued at Rs 3 crore, said in a statement on Thursday that the contraband were seized from him by “military officials”.

Nipu Kalita, the prime accused in the robbery of gold biscuits from two alleged smugglers, on Wednesday surrendered at Basistha police station from where he was sent to Dispur police station, his last posting.

His two alleged accomplices, constable Faijul Rahman and homeguard Afjal Ali, are absconding.

“In his statement, Kalita accepted seizing the gold biscuits but said he was intercepted by a five-member team in military uniform who took custody of the gold that he had seized from two smugglers at Nongpoh (about 45km from here in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district). We are not sure if he is telling the truth,” Debraj Upadhyay, the joint commissioner of Guwahati police, who is leading an investigation in the robbery case, told The Telegraph.

Kalita, along with Rahman and Ali, are accused of seizing the consignment from Jainidur Rahman and Wahijuddin Rahman, who were transporting the 60 gold biscuits from Imphal in Manipur to Meghalaya, at Nongpoh on January 15. On February 4, the alleged smugglers filed a case against the three cops at Dispur police station after which the cops absconded.

“The policemen, after seizing their gold, instead of taking them to the nearest police station, let them off and left with the money,” a police official in Dispur police station, quoting the arrested duo’s statement, said.

The duo were produced in the court of Kamrup (metro) chief judicial magistrate on Tuesday and remanded in four-day police custody.

The whole incident was allegedly kept under wraps by city police and only came into light on February 10.

On February 11, Guwahati commissioner of police Deepak Kumar formed an investigation team led by the joint police commissioner.

Kalita was on Thursday presented in the court of Kamrup (metro) chief judicial magistrate and was remanded in seven days’ police custody.

“Kalita said he had the intention of bringing the seized gold back to the police station. But as he neither informed the police station about conducting such a raid, nor informed the police station after seizing the gold, his statement is incomprehensive. Due to this, we had asked the court for police remand so that we can get the true picture,” said Upadhyay.