THE SHOCK

The Inspector General of Police, was crestfallen. His department appeared to be hitting a blank wall, in the major cases being handled. He anticipated punitive action, or at least an inconvenient transfer to another place.

The schools in the city wore a desolate look, deprived of their chirpy inhabitants, as parents refused to let their children out of the house. And it wasn’t the weather this time around. The city was shaken up, by a spate of murders of children, and their bodies being found in a pond. There were reports of their disappearance earlier, with no demands for ransom. The children had just vanished. And now, a few of them were found, but in this manner. The police search did offer some clues, but no conclusions. Public ire was mounting, and there was political pressure to resolve the case at the earliest.

The next shock delivered today morning, was that of a suicide. Anjali Roy, the wife of a rich industrialist who had been running his business empire, after his mysterious disappearance a few years ago, resorted to an overdose of sleeping pills to end her life. She was a human rights activist, well-known in social and political circles. She was rumored to be a candidate for the next parliamentary elections.

She had visited the families of the child victims, two days ago, and shared their concerns. Her close aide, Shashi, confirmed that she had plans to launch an initiative on child safety, and was in discussion with experts in the field. There appeared to be a link, but what? Shashi was taken into custody for interrogation.

The last text sent by Anjali Roy to Shashi said “Who could have imagined that my husband has been running a paedophile racket for the past few years, operating with a different identity?”