Jeypore: The police in Koraput drew accolades when they arrested hardcore criminal Ranjeet Bagh, raided ganja smugglers and foiled robberies. But the police also drew flak for their failure in three major criminal cases recently.
The Jeypore Sadar Police arrested seven dacoits while they were planning a robbery January 7. But two villagers of Ratnakarguda – Rajendra Panigrahi and Mahalxmi Panigrahi – claimed that two dacoits, Balaram and Alok, were innocent.
The two villagers asked the police to provide detailed information about the involvement of the two accused. They threatened to immolate themselves if the two innocent persons were not released.
The incident finally led to the manhandling of police personnel at the police station. Accused Balaram and Alok who were being falsely implicated in criminal cases were released under public pressure.
In another case February 2, the villagers handed over two hardcore criminals, Turuka and Harijan, to the police. Instead of taking action against the duo, the police freed them and dropped them at their homes in a police jeep.
Turuka and a dozen of his gangsters had entered Kuntarakhal carrying Mauser guns and ammunition, and assaulted some youths. There are allegations that many criminal cases are pending against him.
Local MLA and residents of Kuntarakhal staged a dharna in front of the police station to protest police inaction and favouritism.
The MLA said, “Crimes are on the rise in the district due to corrupt police officers and their patronage of criminals.”
In the third case last Sunday, the police had interrogated some hoteliers for buying cashew from smugglers and had seized the smuggled cashew from them. But now they have been designated as witnesses in the case by the police.
The police action has been criticised all over. “Why were they designated witnesses and not arrested? Why are the police so liberal with criminals,” locals have asked.
As per law, a person who buys stolen goods is treated as a criminal. But the police are oblivious of the crime even as they have seized a large quantity of cashew from the hoteliers.
However, SDPO TJ Reddy said the police are taking action as per law.
PNN