Bargarh: Cradle of BJP’s rebirth
Bargarh is fast turning out as the cradle of the BJP’s rebirth, thanks to Bargarh MlA Debesh Acharya and the youth brigade he is surrounded by. This cradle is said to have been formally opened when stones were hurled at the car of Union Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar and black flags were shown to him. For the BJP, it was a gift on a platter because what Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not do for his party despite the huge rally he addressed there, Acharya did it in a flash making it easy for the ruling entity at the centre to make a dent into the BJD vote bank in Odisha. Whether Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik had his silent support to choreograph the event can be gauged from the police action and its body language on the spot. Declaration of 30 lakh gas connection free of cost to BPl families in the next three years, opening of bottling plants at Bhubaneswar, Jeypore and Bolangir and coverage of gas connection to 10 lakh people of general category during official launch of the Ujjwala scheme in Sambalpur was a spine chilling message to the BJD camp and the fallout was there for all to see and react. The party functionaries quickly rallied around to hold the fort led by MP Prasanna Acharya but the reasons he gave for such muscular aggression was not convincing as BJD had made advance preparations to disturb Gangwar’s visit. Statement of Odisha’s Textiles Minister Snehangini Chhuria who had made her mind open two days ahead, was enough to vindicate the jittery in BJD camp.
Papu: Rise and fall of a star
Casting couch came into currency after proliferation of Hindi films in the late 1970s followed by aspiration of cine artists to enter the industry obviously for name, fame and money involved. The usage, however, was rare because of its derogatory connotation till Papu Pompom and a few other Ollywood filmmakers were named to be allegedly involved in this. Offering role in a film in exchange of sex is what casting couch means. Be that as it may, the casting couch tag on Ollywood stars including the producers is unethical which will discourage beautiful artistes to join the film line. Entry into film industry by taking recourse to such an ignominious path is not desirable. This castigates the character of a race related to the State they are living in. Such probabilities are in plenty in film industry and it is not known whether Sarmistha Priyadarshini or the adolescent girl was trapped by those whose names are in currency. Tattwa Prakash alias Papu Pompom who had gone underground giving the police a run for its money, was finally arrested by the police after an interesting cat -and-mouse race. But enlarged as he was till his dismissal from the party, the arrest thereafter raises question on professional ethics of the Crime Branch.
Crime syndicate in Balangir
In cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack or Rourkela or for that matter in Sambalpur and Brahmapur, organised crimes are a bit difficult for police to tackle. But in a place like Balangir how come tender fixers and land mafias are able to set up criminal dens and carry out their nefarious activities freely in broad day light is a question to which the police have no answer. Be that as it may, organised crime in Odisha of late has come to stay with flagrant disobedience to law and order of the State. It may be in the guise of saints and innocents or may be in the filmy style of Dhalsamanta brothers, madrasa owner Abdul Rehman, the gangsters of Timan and Ponzi links of politicians notwithstanding. With the arrest of Guruji Khirodra Mishra and two associates of Timan from Talpali Pada in Bolangir, police have been successful in nabbing kingpin and the mastermind and as a fallout the criminal empire of Timan gang is unfolding layer by layer. Timan’s two associates, Bajrang Banchhor and Vicky Suna, were among the leading tender mafias of Bolangir grabbing costly contracts through Jiten (a friend of Timan) whose wife was the block Chairman. Guruji has been evicted from three revenue plots he had grabbed near the Government UP School of Shantipada. The Timan team now called the ‘T-company’ could not have built such an empire without the involvement of the influential persons of the town. Such crime stories are in plenty for Bolangir police and spilling the beans through investigation is a challenge. The incident is a wakeup call to Bolangir police.
Dr Motilal: A classic 420 case
There is something wrong with a person whose left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. This is equally applicable to the system of governance. Yes! We are talking of Dr Motilal Gouda, Assistant Director of Factory and Boilers, who joined as a Junior Doctor in the Health Department in 2009 and surprisingly got himself shifted to Employees State Insurance Hospital that comes under the Department of labour. His original employers had no information about this shifting which came to surface only when the Health Department issued show cause notice to 613 employees including Dr Motilal six years later in 2015. Could it be possible without political backingIJ He was dismissed from service when there was no response to the notice. Using political influence he managed a posting as Assistant Director in the Department of Factory and Boilers on deputation from ESI Hospital before being nabbed by the Crime Branch. The story doesn’t end here. Motilal allegedly signed a gazette notification and circulated in more than 100 private industries under forged self authorized signature to issue health certificates to employees before they join new jobs. The Crime Branch swooped down on him before the execution of the well orchestrated plan. Motilal’s political link is now being probed, so also his alleged involvement in financial embezzlement. Three of his colleagues have been arrested and court forwarded. Many more involved in the game plan of Motilal or his mentors in political circle are likely to fall in the Crime Branch net as the charges levelled against him are serious in nature from political point of view. Meanwhile, his anticipatory bail has been rejected by the High Court and he has been asked to surrender before the Crime Branch.