Date:30/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113056500200.htm

Other States - Orissa

Plea for tight security at beach

Staff Reporter

Lack of police action against miscreants creates fear among people

Not many are seen on Gopalpur beach after dark
A youth was killed by some miscreants recently

BERHAMPUR: People of the city are doubtful of the security of tourists at the Gopalpur beach although plans are on for the celebration of Gopalpur beach festival in December last week.

Many feel it may affect the tourism prospects of this beach resort if the police did not track down the miscreants who terrorise the people visiting the beach to extort money. Although there were allegations about it in the past, the most gruesome act of these miscreants came to the fore on November 21 evening when a youth of the city Ashis Tripathy was beaten to death on the beach. He was sitting on the beach with his girlfriend. The miscreants tried to extort money from him. When he refused to pay up he was beaten to death.

The miscreants were yet to be traced even after more than week. The Officer-in-Charge of the Gopalpur police station Jyotiranjan Samantray says they still not sure whether this murder was related to extortion or some other thing. The father of the deceased, Narayan Tripathy blames the police for lack of security at the beach, which led to the killing of his son. A special peace committee has been formed in the city demanding arrest of the culprits behind the youth’s murder and to bring back peace in the beach resort.

A leader of the committee, Ashok Shukla said they had met the Berhampur superintendent of police regarding their demands. They have decided to take up the path of agitation if police failed to arrest the miscreants involved in extortion and murder of Ashis on Gopalpur beach.

Most worried are the hoteliers of Gopalpur. They also feel that without a feeling of security tourists would desist from staying at this beach resort. Hotelier R. Muhammad said they have also demanded better lighting and more secure atmosphere on the beach.

But recent development had its impact on the beach. No more people from the city are being seen on the beach in large number after dusk, which is affecting the tourism based business of shops on the beach. Couples of the city say they do not feel safe to sit at some calm corner of the beach as there was very chance of getting pounced upon by miscreants.