Post News Network
Cuttack, Sept 17: The commissionerate police faces an image crisis after photographs of at least five police inspectors with a cheating accused surfaced recently.
Sources said the person concerned had duped traders of several crore rupees on the promise of providing them distributorships of a soft drink company. The accused had reportedly maintained close relation with inspectors of at least five police stations in the city here. Several photographs of the accused with these police inspectors were circulated recently causing immense embarrassment to the police.
Twin-city police commissioner YB Khurania has asked deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora to launch a probe into the alleged link between the cheating accused and the inspectors of various police stations.
Congress workers, too, recently submitted a memorandum on the alleged police-criminal link to the director general of police KB Singh and sought a high-level probe.
Earlier also several allegations were levelled against some senior police officials for maintaining close relation with criminals and gangsters. It was often alleged that gangster brothers—Sushant Dhalasamanta and Sushil Dhalasamanta—had consolidated their network in CDA and Chauliaganj area of the city due to their proximity to the police officials posted in the two localities.
The Dhalasamanta brothers had committed several crimes including murder, kidnapping and extortion in CDA and Chauliaganj areas under the alleged patronage of some police officers.
The commissionerate police had nabbed several aides of the Dhalasamanta siblings including Bhajana, Shiba, Bharat, Bhuyan, Sangram, Ramchadra, Bhagwan, Arta, Sukuna, Sarat and Bijay from Chauliaganj and its nearby areas.
“No gangster or criminal can commit crimes in a particular locality for a long period without the open or tacit support of police officials. The higher-ups of the commissionerate police should immediately take action against inspectors who have maintained good relation with criminals,” said social activist Loknath Satpathy.
Former DGP SN Tiwari has also expressed concerns over the alleged link between police inspectors and criminals. “A probe must be initiated to ascertain the circumstances under which police officials had been photographed with a cheating accused. No one should be spared in this regard,” Tiwari said.
DCP Arora said he is looking into the allegation and will take appropriate action. “We will take action against police officials if there are evidences against them,” he said.