Review of law and order regularly, HC tells Odisha govt

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jun 4:

Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state exemplified by the recent burglary in the house of retired judge Justice PK Mohanty in Cuttack, the High Court, in an interim order, today directed the Odisha government to review criminal activities in the state on a regular basis and take appropriate measures to check them.

A division bench of the court, while hearing a PIL today, asked the state government to form a committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary to review the law and order situation in the state at regular intervals.

The committee will have the Director General of Police (DGP), police commissioner, deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) and all district SPs as members, the bench ruled.

Taking note of the rising incidents of crime in towns and cities, the court directed the government to beef up additional security measures.

The court asked the police to block all entry points in the cities and towns with barricades from 10 PM to 7 AM and keep an eye on anti-social elements.

Acting on the concern of the petitioner that the burglary in the house of Justice Mohanty was due to the laxity of the Markat Nagar police, the bench directed the government to transfer the IIC of Markat Nagar police station within a week.