Elections Are Here

The DCP was shouting at everyone coming into the station. He went into his office and noticed someone was waiting for him. DCP asked the man why was he here? But before he could answer, DCP shouted at him and asked him to get out. He was about to say something to the DCP, but DCP got angrier and asked the constable to take him away. But he will regret this soon as the guy had the biggest of the references, DCP's wife sent the guy. He was a distant relative to her father. 

A few minutes later, the constable came back with a cup of tea. The DCP seemed to have mellowed down a little. So, the constable asked, "Sir, what happened, why are you angry?"

"It is the elections I hate them."

"Was there a violence somewhere?"

"No"

"Was there any opposition parties giving threats?"

"No, something bigger than that."

What could that be, started to think, the constable? He was not required to wait long as the DCP told him what it was immediately.

"The CM made a poll promise in front of me to a distressed mother."

"Okay, how could that be so bad, sir."

"Let me finish. The mother's son was killed in an encounter recently. He was one of the guys who raped a girl in Chennai. The newspapers asked a few questions, how can this man do this as he was from a faraway place? The official story, however, was we found CCTV footage to prove he was following the girl. The police went to arrest him, and he tried to run away. With no other option, the police shot him."

"Looks like a straight forward case. What did the CM promise then?" asked the constable.

"He promised the mother to enquire the encounter and catch the culprits."

"Why?"

"The mother says her son never travelled out of the village."

"You could have said yes to CM there?"

"I said that. But afterwards, I asked him, does he really want to do this? He said, "Yes". I went back and tried to ask him a few time again during the trip. He always said to go ahead with the enquiry."

"Let us do, the enquiry, and we know what happened? What could go wrong?"

"Everything will go wrong. At the time the encounter happened, there was pressure on us. We did not spend enough time collecting evidence. Now, if we try to enquire, the truth might come out, and we might be in trouble."

"It is okay sir. As long as it was not us."

"Are you new here? The encountered was ordered by me before the team left for his arrest."

"We are doing the enquiry, and we can show what evidence we want what we don't want. That will be easy to do sir, that could have not got you angry."

"I am angry not for the enquiry. I am angry with the CM."

"He just trying to win, take it easy, sir."

"He can try whatever to win, but he should not forget he was the one who ordered the encounter. "

"What?"

"That time there was a byelection, as CM he wanted to show his power. He forgot that or acting as if he forgot. Now he wants me to enquire as-if he was all innocent and I a monster. That made me angry."

"Sir, do you think the guy really did it?"

"Who knows, and I don't have time to find it. I need to somehow close the case without letting my name to come out."

The constable taking the empty teacup out from his boss's room, thought the ministers make stupid poll promises. Why can't they think for a second how much pain the bureaucracy has to go through? All ministers are stupids concluded the constable.

P.S.: A ten minutes later, the constable went back to the room of DCP, when called. The DCP asked the constable to quickly run and get the man who he sent out a little while ago. If his issue is not resolved DCP might have to sleep in some hotel. After all, you cannot say no to your wife and live to see another day. Enquiries, encounters, and facts can take a hike