Ganeshguri : The crime scenario
Ganeshguri, Guwahati's bustling commercial hub, faces rising crime, from theft and assault to drug peddling. Despite heavy police presence, vigilance remains a challenge
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If we talk about the crime scenario of the Ganeshguri area of Guwahati, one may encounter any of its kind from cheating, fraud, theft, assault to dacoity and murder.
If in the day time, lifting of bikes and scooters, helmets, snatching of mobile phones/money bags, pick pocketing are dominant, nights see illegal activities like eve-easing, molestation, assault, murder, snatching of money from auto rickshaw/ cab drivers and drug peddling; one may also come across cheating or blackmailing by ladies for money, too.
In January 2024, in a robbery incident thieves targeted the bustling commercial hub of Beekay Tower at Ganeshguri, which left people of Guwahati in shock.
In February, a youth, Ikram Hussain, was murdered under the Ganeshguri flyover by his friends over a minor scuffle.
In April, an Assam Police personnel was assaulted in Ganeshguri under CCTV camera during the late hours of night while trying to stop a group involved in altercation.
In May, STF, Assam apprehended 4 drug peddlers with 14 soap boxes containing 196 gram of heroin from Dispur Guest House at Ganeshguri.
This is the scenario of Ganeshguri area, which is hardly 200 metres away from the Dispur Police Station.
Sources at the Dispur Police Station said out of more than hundred information/intimations every day, 10 cases are registered on an average, and further inquiries are conducted.
Within a very short period of time, Ganeshguri has become a commercial hub. All types of commercial activity relating to retail business, wholesale buying and selling thrive in the area; several financial establishments are also located in the area; from small tea stalls on the roadsides to well-known snacks joints, low-cost guest houses to elegant high-end hotels, Ganeshguri hosts all.
To cater these business, individuals with different capacities and categories are needed and they are sheltered by immediate neighbourhood through rented accommodation in numerous ‘gallis’ and bye-lanes like Nyanpur Path, Amritpur Path, Gopal Boro Path, Kacharibasti Path etc. in the Hengrabari, Jatia, Kekora Nagar areas. Residents, out of greed or extra money, allow more and more people to live in rented accommodations for small amounts without any verification, which opens the doors to potential criminals.
Officials from Dispur Police Station expressed their helplessness saying that “it is not possible for us to check each and every gallis all the time”. Nine patrolling vehicles are deployed for 24x7 vigilance and they try their best to reach out for every help as soon as possible, but Ganeshguri needs closer watch.