Ombir

Ombir is the chief police officer in Teetarpur and one of the novel’s two central characters. Ombir is presented as a fundamentally good but flawed man, whose desire to do the right thing is continually thwarted by the corrupt and brutal world he inhabits. His character captures the moral complexities faced by individuals trying to uphold justice in a system that is structurally stacked against them. Throughout the novel, Ombir is depicted as someone who genuinely wants to solve Munia’s murder and bring her killer to justice. He is conscientious, methodical, and sincerely moved by the tragedy of the young girl’s death. However, good intentions alone are not enough in the deeply compromised environment of Teetarpur, and Ombir’s story is marked by a series of ethical failures and compromises that ultimately prevent him from achieving true justice.

One of the most significant moral compromises...