Inefficiency of officers posted for years blamed
BHUBANESWAR: State capital Bhubaneswar is fast turning into crime capital of the State with criminal activities spiralling in the last 11 months. According to the crime statistics released by the Commissionerate police, 32 murder, 108 rape and 1,880 theft cases have been registered in Bhubaneswar in the last 11 months.Similarly, the city reported 547 loots, 426 house-breaking, 791 cheating case during that period. Besides, unsolved cases are soaring in the capital city. Some of these unsolved crimes include the recovery of a woman’s body stashed in a bag from a river bank in Mancheswar, a woman’s body found at Gothapatna in Chandaka area and another woman’s body recovered from a lodge in the Mancheswar area.
Adding to these, increasing number of gun crimes and illegal weapon trading, unabated flow of narcotics like brown sugar and ganja, mushrooming of prostitution rackets besides the cyber frauds, crimes against senior citizens, bank robberies and ATM loots. These have posed a major challenge for the Commissionerate police. One of the reasons for the rising crime rate has been blamed on police officers who have managed to get them posted in Bhubaneswar for years allegedly with the help of some people in the power corridors.
Though the rules say an officer cannot be posted at the same place for more than two to three years, many of them have been posted here for more than a decade. It is no surprise that the local police stations have been found wanting in controlling the deteriorating law and order situation.Routine patrolling and supervision by these officers is not being carried out in their jurisdiction or surveillance is being mounted on the hardened criminals, who are released from jail and back again on the streets carrying their illegal activities.
Human intelligence or lack of flow of information from a strong informers’ network is also a hindrance for effective policing by the local police. This is can be ascertained from the fact the most of the seizures of narcotics, arms and arrest of hardcore criminals is done by the Quick Action, Special Squad or the specialised agencies like the STF.
Besides, due to the real estate boom and the lucrative returns from it, it is alleged these officials have developed a strong nexus with local land-grabbers, who are backed by some local politicians and an army of hoodlums. Due to the patronage of these cops, these musclemen besides their land grabbing activities are spreading a reign of terror in their areas with their illegal activities.