HC concern over waning law and order in Odisha

The Orissa High Court today expressed serious concern over deteriorating law and order situation in the state and slammed the police for it while ordering that a high-level committee be formed to periodically review the situation.
The bench of Justices B P Ray and Biswanath Rath came said the Chief secretary-headed committee will have the DGP, twin city Police Commissioner, all DCPs of urban police department and district SPs as its members, the High Court ordered.
The High Court's ire was expressed while adjudicating over a PIL filed by social activist Chittaranjan Mohanty who in his petition has detailed certain recent crimes in the state, including the daring robbery in the house of a retired judge of the High Court here and several cases of crime in Cuttack city.

The petitioner has attributed the recent incidents to complete "breakdown of policing in the state" and sought proper and thorough investigations either by CBI or by any other independent agency into the May 30 robbery case in the house of Justice (retd) P K Mohanty. Armed dacoits had decamped with cash and jewellery after tying 70-year-old Mohanty and his family members.
Posting the matter to be adjudicated again after the ongoing summer vacation, the High Court has issued notices to the state government and ordered that steps should be taken within ten days to replace the inspectors-in-charge of two police stations in the satellite city of Abhinav Bidanasi with suitable officers.