Rise of Theft Cases in Guwahati Concern Citizens Regarding Police Effectiveness

In the last week, two theft cases in close intervals have rocked Guwahati. 

The first was in Ajanta Path, Hatigaon-Beltola area of Guwahati. Rs 20 lakhs worth of items was stolen from an apartment. The resident family had gone to their village and as such there was no one in the apartment. 

The stolen items included Rs 25,000 in cash, gold items, and clothes amounting to Rs 20 lakhs approximately. As per the locals, cases of theft have been on the rise in the Hatigaon-Beltola area of Guwahati.

In other instances, another similar incident has occurred at of the prestigious India club on GNB Road, Dighalipukhuri area of Guwahati. Miscreants looted a bag containing Rs 50,000 from inside a car parked in the high surveillance protected premises of India Club near Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati.

The incident happened on 1st December, around 5:30 pm. The bag was looted from Pramod Singhania, an outstation member of the prestigious club. 

Four miscreants on two motor-bikes reportedly followed the car belonging to one Pramod Singhania up to the club premises. While the others kept the club's security personnel engaged in a conversation, one of them sauntered into the club, broke the back window of the car and decamped with a bag containing the money. 

Speaking to G Plus, Biswadip Bora, secretary-general of the club informed, "Panbazar Police has been informed and the case is being pursued. The club has heavy CCTV surveillance and we have provided the footage to the police." Camera footages show the victim was being followed by the thieves." 

Police response over the incidents in the last week

With regard to the India Club incident, Ranjit Moran, Officer-in-Charge of Panbazar Police Station, Guwahati said, "An FIR has already been lodged with case no. 617/2020 of Panbazar PS under section 379/427 of the Indian Penal code."  

However, the bag was recovered from a garbage bin at Lachit Nagar. Reportedly, a vegetable vendor found the bag and called the rightful owner after finding his number in the documents. 

"All the documents have been found intact, only the Rs. 50,000 has been taken away," added Bora. The case is currently under investigation.

As for the Beltola case, the Officer in Charge (OC) Hatigaon Police Station, Biren Deka, has confirmed the matter. "They knew every movement. They even locked the door later and entered just the bedroom," added Deka. The police have acknowledged the rise of such cases in the area and are investigating the matter.

The old cases across the city face lacuna in resolution

These are not one–off or isolated cases of theft in the city. In Chatribari, residents had to form a WhatsApp group to fight the increasing cases of theft in the locality. 

The Chatribari residents of Fire Brigade Lane, Guwahati, had turned into vigilantes after repeated incidents of theft in the area. The locals have formed a WhatsApp group to mobilise against the thieves.

As per the locals, the multiple cases of theft are connected by a systematic modus operandi, indicating the involvement of gangs. They even suspect the use of a spray that makes people unconscious.

As breaking entry to the apartments becomes a regular feature in the area, locals allege the "inactivity of the police." This is one of the reasons for which they had formed the group. 

"Till they are not caught, we will try our best, as nothing is happening from the other side. The day the incident happened at my house, the police said we patrolled 15 minutes back. How can this be possible under their patrol?" said a local resident, Sandeep. 

So far, two FIRs were filed regarding the issue. G Plus spoke to the investigating officer of Paltan Bazar, Guwahati who said, "We have not received any leads, patrolling has been going on. We are investigating the matter." 

The police have suspected the involvement of anti-social elements like addicts in the situation. The residents now claimed that no action had been taken by the police on the issue. As such they had to invest money for expensive grilling to protect themselves from the thieves and burglars. 

Another resident of Guwahati has claimed ineffectiveness from the police’s side. His family was out of the station in Delhi and when they came back, all their valuables were found stolen. It has been one year but so far the mastermind for the theft has not been caught. This incident happened in the same Beltola-Hatigaon link road. 
 

The further alarming statistics

VP – value on property, CR – cases reported; NCRB data 2019

Assam has one of the highest cases of crime related to theft, burglary and robbery as per National Crime Records Bureau Data published in 2019. 

As such, the recent cases in the city are not unique or unprecedented. However, the prime concern has been the continuity of such cases in Guwahati without any curbs. 

To take stock of the matter, G Plus spoke to Commisioner of Police (CP) Munna Prasad Gupta. "Police is already taking action and undertaking all measures to contain this," Munna Prasad Gupta told G Plus.

He further assured that night patrolling and other initiatives to tackle the menace of burglary are already in place.