Forget what happened years back if none is poking into it and if others have forgot it. After all public memory is very short, and howsoever grave, people tend to forget things after some initial uproar.

Let’s move on with the tasks on hand as Government is in real trouble and widespread agitation may mar its electoral prospects. Crimes keep happening. Let us pick and choose. There cannot be a solution to every problem. It will be too much of expectation. Have we signed any contract with anybody to solve all riddles? Move on. We have a greater job for the Government.”

Is it the approach, nay, modus operandi, of the Crime Branch which enjoys a special position in the police department for its success stories? Does it forget a basic fact that for any of its omissions and commissions, failures and successes, the Government is ultimately responsible to the people? And, by its omissions and failures, the Government finally faces the music in the People’s Court, not only at the interval of every five years, but everyday through the media, public debates and political repercussions?

Now people here are critical of the Government for a major failure of the Crime Branch in detecting one of the most heinous crimes that outraged each and all, almost four years back. They say Naveen Government has utterly failed on all account so far as the crime graph in the State is concerned. On the black night of May 6, 2008 a 90-year-old widow, Champa Devi of Khurda, was brutally murdered by a gang of armed dacoits at her residence on the main road of the town. The dacoits also looted cash, gold, a licensed revolver and other valuables worth crores of rupees. But the case still lies  unsolved although nearly 4 years have elapsed in the meantime.

The dacoits, besides killing the old widow, also brutally assaulted her two surviving sons and daughter-in-law who sustained grievous multiple injuries. Luckily they survived the attack, otherwise the whole family would have been wiped out. The local police having miserably failed to identify and nab the culprits, there was deep public resentment and the case was ultimately transferred to the Crime Branch, hoping that the criminals would be brought to book. The case is lying in a limbo, whereas, in the meantime, three investigating officers and two IGs have been transferred.

This ghastly incident of such high magnitude occurred in the heart of the town and the crime spot is hardly 50 yards from Khurda Town police station. The victim’s two sons have been continuously knocking the doors of the higher police officials and men in the civil and political administration but to no effect. Even the CM was also approached personally and a petition was submitted. But nothing happened.

This is a glaring instance of callousness on the part of the police and the civil and political administration in a case that shook the morale of the citizens of the entire town, who had spontaneously observed bandh and gheraoed the PS to protest inaction. Finally, everything fell on the deaf ears of authorities who appear to be no more interested in cracking the case. Or is it otherwise- it is best to forget as the case is old and outdated and outcries have settled since long with nobody putting a question mark on the Government’s habitual apathy?