Berhampur: Even though the police conducted around 60 encounters and arrested several hardcore criminals in the last four and a half years, the crime rate has not declined in Ganjam and Berhampur police districts, a report said.
The encounters have failed to act as a deterrent as criminals after their recovery and release on bail are again engaging in crimes. At least three of the criminals arrested in encounters died of illness later.
The police ponder on the ways to contain the rising crime rate.
The police of Ganjam and Berhampur have launched ‘Operation Criminal Clean’ to free the districts of crime.
The police have prepared a list of 300 hardcore criminals and have set up special teams to nab them.
The special police teams tracked the movements of history-sheeters and nabbed many of them during surprise raids on their hideouts. Many hardcore criminals were critically injured in encounters and were nabbed.
The criminals were admitted to hospitals for treatment and were later remanded to judicial custody. However, the criminals despite being arrested, jailed and critically injured have not changed a bit.
The criminals after release on bail are seen engaging themselves in various criminal activities affecting law and order.
The first encounter took place April 4, 2015 when a team of Khallikote police arrested history-sheeter Akshaya Nayak.
The same year Ganjam police conducted three encounters while 14 encounters took place in 2016. Similarly, 17 encounters each were conducted by the police in the districts in 2017 and 2018.
Four encounters took place between January and May 2019. The Aska police arrested two history-sheeters, Krushna Jena and Sunil Jena, January 7, 2019. Bhanjanagar police nabbed Md. Imran alias Imu February 15 and Khallikote police arrested Manoj Swain May 10 after encounters.
A special police team arrested hardcore criminals Ganesh Nayak alias Bulu and Hrushikesh Patra after an encounter in Golanthara May 31 in the Aska Congress MLA candidate Manoj Jena murder case. They were arrested after an encounter while trying to flee to Andhra Pradesh.
Ganesh was earlier arrested in an encounter December 24, 2015. He was jailed, but after release on bail he came back and killed MLA candidate Jena near a school in Baidyanathpur police limits in Berhampur police district.
Another criminal, Chaka Nayak, who was jailed after an encounter May 21, 2016, activated his gang after release and engaged in criminal activities. He was re-arrested and lodged at the Sorada sub-jail, but died at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital while undergoing treatment June 4, 2019.
Two hardcore criminals Srikanta Rana and Gouri Shankar Swain were arrested by Buguda police in an encounter May 5, 2015, but Rana died later. Babu Nayak who was nabbed in an encounter by Jagannathprasad police also died later.
