TV
Odisha, the land of faith, tradition, and resilience, now seems to have grappled between an uneasy balance of crime and accountability. A big question, whether crimes are really on the rise in the state or we are simply witnessing what has long been hidden, now pervades Odisha streets and sacred spaces.
From late 2024 through mid-2025, Odisha witnessed an alarming flurry of temple thefts. In a disturbing pattern as many as ten temples were looted in just six months; ornaments, idols, donation boxes targeted with callous precision.
Temples’ Loot To Rising Crimes Against Women
Temple loot incidents spanned from the theft at Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple in Cuttack in January this year to the Saila Srikhetra Jagannath Temple in Angul, Tara Tarini, and many more… A series of such temple theft incidents, nearly more than a dozen in the last 7-8 months, where miscreants robbed sacred shrines at their have hurt the devotes across Odisha.
At the same time, crimes against women remain high. In just eight months, 18,000 cases were registered with only 217 cases disposed of. Thousands more remain unresolved. The 2024 crime white paper reveals an 8% rise in rape cases, even as murders declined by about 7.6%.
Yet, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi disputes the narrative. He cites declines across multiple categories since June 2024, sexual harassment down by 13.5%, trafficking by nearly 29.4%, and public disrobing by 22.3%.
Who’s Telling The Truth? Numbers Vs Narratives
Political blame lines are drawn sharply. The Opposition alleges that public disclosure of hard truths was long suppressed and that crimes are not rising, but finally surfacing.
Indeed, data in the assembly shows Odisha reporting 18,000 cases, with few resolved, statistics that prompted a memorandum to the Governor from Opposition leaders calling for judicial inquiries and anti-interference mechanisms.
Rise Or Revelation?
So, what’s really happening in Odisha? Is it a sudden surge in crimes or a breakthrough in transparency and accountability? The evidence suggests a mix of both.
1. Temple thefts have undeniably become more frequent, whether due to increased targeting or better reporting remains unclear.
2. Crimes against women are being recorded more than before, but even as registrations rise, disposal remains alarmingly low.
3. At the same time, government officials point to reductions in many crime categories, potentially reflecting actions already taken.
Perhaps what we are witnessing is not just a change in crime but a change in exposure. Under the BJP rule, the shadows are lifting but whether light means progress or merely awareness remains the critical question.
