Odisha: CP's special crime investigation unit fails from all fronts

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8: The Odisha government has set up a special crime investigation unit under the Commissionerate Police (CP) to control organised crimes in the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. However, the crime graph is ever-growing in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. The special unit has failed to control crimes from all fronts with rising loot, robbery, extortion, uncontrolled drugs racket and emerging of gangs like KBN. The special crime investigation unit that was announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), in December 15, 2021 has failed to control planned crimes, financial fraud, drug smuggling cases and more in the two cities. The Chief Minister sanctioned 59 posts, including that of a DCP, an additional deputy commissioner of police, three ACPs, nine inspectors, 12 sub-inspectors and three assistant sun-inspectors for the special unit. The CP last week revived the unit by appointing two SPs and an inspector. ACP Girija Sankar Chakrabarty, Biswaranjan Senapati and newly promoted inspector Gopal Krushna Jena have joined the unit. On August 2, Additional SP of Barbil was appointed as DCP of the special crime investigation unit. According to DCP office sources, an ASI rank officer was managing the communication system of the unit and only seven constables were appointed and 44 posts were vacant for the last eight months before the recent reshuffle. Now the unit needs one ACP, eight inspectors and two ASIs (communication) and 20 constables. Similarly, no SIs have been appointed in the unit against 12 posts.