Chapter 18 The Dodamarg Connection

• He had hardly taken a sip from his cup when his mobile rang. He looked at the screen and grimaced. He had returned from New Delhi late last night and had resumed duties sharp at ten. He had given his maid three days leave, as he wasn't sure when he was going to return back. He wasn't able to get a night's sleep yet. It had been only two hours and his boss had called him to his cabin at least five times. Now why the fuck did he have to call on his mobile? 'Have you heard the news today Arunava? ' His boss's cold, emotionless voice rang into his ears, irritating him further. 'No I'm not a fucking robot you asshole', he wanted to whisper into his ears and gauge his reaction. He didn't have the energy to prepare his breakfast and the old haggard was talking about watching TV. Moreover why didn't he remember to ask him at his chamber? It made his heart beat faster. He knew when his boss put things deliberately off. He would definitely be told to stay late and discuss another case with him now. And Gosh! how his voice rolled off his tongue like sweet honey during such times! Even a hardcore criminal would give in to his rhapsody of speech! So much so for the early return back from work and a movie show he had planned that evening. Arunava couldn't understand what pleasure he derived keeping him on his toes all the time. Yet when he had called him so many times at his chamber, he discussed trivial things about the cases he was in charge of. But what more was there to investigate in them? It was evident from the husband's different versions of statement that he was trying to hide something. Two blows of the stick inside the lock-up and he'd sing. The woman at Joramandir had an illicit relationship with her brother-in-law. When the man found it out he killed his wife. The man's brother was absconding. Initially it appeared he was the man, but in absence of motive, her husband was interrogated a second time. And he spilled the beans.
• In the child kidnapping case, the paying guest had been under the police scanner for long. He had the strongest motive. He was the only bread-earner in his family of six at Bardhaman .. needed money badly for his father's operation. Out of proximity with the only child in the family with whom he stayed at their Ghoshpukur flat, he sometimes dropped him to school when his working parents were busy in meetings. The police found out that he was recently laid off by his company where he worked as an office assistant. He checked log books of drivers and had a rapport with them. He got a maruti van arranged through them and with the help of two of his friends had kidnapped the ten year old boy and hidden him at his company's warehouse, before demanding a ransom of five lacs rupees. The 28 year old man belonged to a humble background and didn't have earlier criminal records. It was clear that he had committed the crime out of impoverishment.
• Aggression within the local political party over donations for a shopping mall project was believed to be a strong possibility behind the murders at khal-par and bypass - a fight between two tigers over their prey. Information retrieved from the mobile phones of the boys aged twenty-three, twenty-four whose bodies were found, corroborated the facts. Everyone knew that the political aggression would soon be translated into personal rivalry with the aid of the media and the case get wiped-off the records eventually. Till then the police was required to play for time. His boss was way ahead of him in understanding the state of affairs. When he came out into the hall the TV was already showing breaking news of the brutal murder of an eighteen year old girl in a remote village of Dodamarg district of Maharashtra.