GUWAHATI: The crime rate in Sijubari area of Hatigaon has remained alarmingly high over the past few years. Although crimes in Guwahati have seen an overall dip this year, officials at the Hatigaon police station say that the number of cases reported here are among the highest in the entire city.
Sijubari has recorded an increased number of crime cases this year. Out of a total of 420 cases registered at the Hatigaon Police station in the past six months (January 1 – June 26), 84 cases alone are from Sijubari.
Officials at the Hatigaon Police station informed G Plus that every year, cases from Sijubari area are highest in numbers as compared to the rest of the area that falls under the police station. Other areas include Hatigaon main road, Lakhmi Nagar, Lal Mati and Bhetapara. While cases of petty theft, gambling, crime against property and dowry are very common in these areas, some of the heinous crimes that have increased in Sijubari are kidnapping, fake note racket and murder, to name a few.
Sijubari is home to a large number of illegal migrants who have come to Guwahati from nearby places like Dhubri, Goalpara and Barpeta. They live in overcrowded rented houses and indulge in various labour works to earn a living.
“Muslim inhabitants from lower Assam are residing in our locality in large numbers. To my knowledge, these inhabitants are behind most of the crimes taking place here. In Sijubari, a vicious cycle of conspiracy can be observed as household maids can be seen working in many high rises of the area. They come as workers during the day and send their gang members to rob under the cover of darkness,” Atiqul Habib, a resident of the area told G Plus.
In the same vein, Md Ajijur Rahman, a grocery shop owner said, “Petty theft and gambling (teer) are very common crimes here. Most of the original inhabitants of Sijubari do not work and their source of income is rent. Earlier, people had huge lands and property which they have sold off over the years. Now that they do not have any savings, they have given rooms on rent to people from parts of lower Assam.”
Murder, kidnap and fake currency: cases that shook Guwahati
Sijubari came into limelight for all the wrong reasons this year. Cases of gruesome murder, kidnapping and crimes against women gripped the city with shock and panic. Further, large numbers of fake currency notes printed in Sijubari have been found circulating in the market.
In November 2017, just when the city was prepping up for the New Year, counterfeit Indian currency notes of Rs 500, Rs 2000 and Rs 200 amounting to a face value of Rs 3 lakhs were recovered from Sijubari and they looked almost real. Investigations revealed that the original currency note is first scanned after which it is printed on tracing paper and then with the help of screen printing stencil, it is printed on the fake currency note paper. Police officials had arrested one Jainal Ahmed in connection with the racket.
Not much later, in February this year, one Hemant Chaucharia was shot dead at Kailash Nagar area of Hatigaon. The victim, a grocery shop owner based in Hatigaon, was shot in the evening while he was on his way to the shop. Police arrested five persons in connection with the killing and recovered the 9 mm pistol that was used to shoot the victim. Sources in the police revealed that the culprits were contract killers based in Sijubari.
While these are among the very few cases that managed to garner attention from the local media, many cases went unnoticed; some even remained unreported.
Police fails to control crime in the area: Residents
Despite claims of tightened security by the city police, residents of Sijubari constantly feel the lack of crime mitigating measures in the area.
Speaking to G Plus, Loknath Deka, officer in-charge of Hatigaon police station, said, “We have taken steps to tighten the security in the area in order to strictly enforce law and order. Stringent actions are being taken by our personnel, which include the surveillance by patrolling vehicles at night and strengthening of Village Defence Parties (VDP). Motorcycles and other special vehicles have also been deployed to cover all areas thoroughly.”
“Instead of patrolling in the interior localities where prevalence of crime is highest, the police patrolling vehicles are found standing at Hatigaon chariali every night. If the police start patrolling visibly, they can help prevent crime by deterring potential criminals,” Atiqul Habib informed G Plus.
Some residents even exerted that not only the police have failed but the chances are that a few officials are hand-in-glove with the wrong doers.
There are many schools and colleges in and around Sijubari, due to which students from across the state are residing in hostels and in paying guest facilities here. A group of girls, all hostellers, anonymously informed G Plus that they feel unsafe to roam around alone, especially during night hours. The situation has become such because of an increase in the number of crimes against women.
