Activities of some gangsters, especially in Kendrapada and Cuttack, have always put a question mark on the law and order situation in the State and the efficiency of the police. Among the dreaded criminals in the Kendrapada district, Syed Usman Ali alias Tito is the most notorious.

He is involved in over a hundred of cases, including murder, dacoity, extortion, kidnapping and tender fixing etc.  The other notorious criminals in the district are Hyder and Suleiman who are the breakaway members from the Tito gang. Suleiman was killed in gang war and Hyder is in jail.  They are also embroiled in terror activities and nefarious designs.  However, Tito is the original gangster with some dreaded criminals under his control, who spread their networks in different districts.

There are 38 criminal cases, including murders and kidnapping against him. Tito was arrested from Kolkata in April 2006 in connection with murder of a contractor and however was released on bail on September 15, 2010. Out of 38 criminals cases against him, he is acquitted in 36 cases.  It is really a sorry state of affairs.

It is not understood why the State Government did not contest the cases in the higher courtsIJ Now the Crime Branch has carried out raids in different places and residences of

Tito and has unearthed properties worth more than Rs 500 crore.  Besides, his wife, Benazir Bibi is in possession of many petrol pumps, firms and luxurious cars cost of which can run into several crores of rupees. From the statement of Tito, some vital information and evidence have been elicited from him on the basis of which raids are being conducted by the Special Task Force of the Crime Branch.

The notorious criminal has no doubt amassed vast amount wealth and properties  by dint of extortion , dacoity  and  tender fixing  etc. It is pertinent to mention here that why the wife of the criminal who has no income has possessed valuable properties including petrol pumpsIJ  How could a criminal get permit of petrol pumpsIJ The concerned officers of district administration must have recommended for it with attractive gratifications and bribes.

It is really a great astonishment that the police had taken no steps to unearth such huge assets, both moveable and immovable, from him after a lapse of more than 40 years.  A criminal under no circumstances can be robustly dominant unless he has political link and patronage.

Similarly, the Dhal brothers, ie, Sushant and Sushil  Dhalasamant who have been sent to jail are hardcore criminals.

They had powerful organisation with many professional accomplices and sharp shooters engaged in murdering their dissents. They have also amassed huge amount of money by same manner as Tito. There is striking resemblance between the two gangsters as these gangsters were involved in harrowing incidents of extortion, tender fixing, kidnapping and murders.

The D brothers were intractable criminals and the State police though aware of their criminal activities were apathetic to take action against them.

Political patronage and huge amount of donation to the party and bribes to police personnel had kept them going.

It is now well realised that bank robberies in our State have been very frequent. 

The banks have no adequate security forces to resist the dacoits.  Even customers during withdrawal and deposit of money are looted by the dacoity gangs.

The chance of detecting and tracking down the robbers and to recover the stolen money has been a remote possibility.  It is really pathetic that lower middle class people are falling prey to loot and in many occasions police are indifferent to registering the FIR.

Rape, molestation, kidnapping and child abuse have been frequent occurrences in our State. The instances of dastardly act of cruelty to the women and child are exponentially increasing. Misdirected youths are indulged   in nefarious designs and urges.  Making friends with girls may not be wrong. But false promises and alluring assurances make the girls confident towards their boyfriends and thereafter starts blackmailing. This is really a heinous crime and deserves consign punishment.

The society, it appears, is degenerating and ethical values and moral propensity are degrading.  It is now not infrequent there are some tenable heartrending instances in which son and daughter in law are killing former’s father in grisly way. Even the daughter in law kills her father in law by beating him and stabs her husband.

In instances of sexual violence and other domestic  cruelty, there is no chance of preventive steps. But subsequently daunting measures are not being taken by the law enforcing agency to instantly track down the accused  and apprehend them. The State Government is taking lackadaisical steps  to contain the criminals who are moving freely after committing crimes.  The setting up of fast track courts is imperative for these criminals indulged in rape and child abuse and sexual assault upon women.

Expeditious disposal of cases may give a sigh of relief to the victims and her family.  There may be abatement of worrisome trends like rape and other sexual violence due to quick disposal of cases.  All depends on the political will and determination of the head of the Government,  ie the Chief Minister, to control the crime.

(The writer, based in Bhubaneswar, is a columnist and regularly writes letters to editors)