As police hunt for Cauvery rioters, burglars strike at will in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Looks like burglars in the city are now finding it easy to commit house break thefts because of two reasons – firstly the police, of late, have been tied down with bandobust duties due to Cauvery row during daytime, hence night patrolling in many parts of the city has taken a hit. Secondly due to the festival season many residents have gone out of town to visit relatives.
There is little night-time patrolling by police in localities such as Indiranagar, Ashok Nagar, Kamakshipalaya, Kalasipalaya, Subramanyapura, Yelahanka, K.R. Puram and other areas. This serves as an ideal situation for the burglars to strike, said a resident. During daytime they carry out a recce of locked houses, with resident gone away to celebrate Dasara and Diwali with their relatives. A classic example was a house in Indiranagar, located adjacent to a bar and a salon, which was broken into last weekend. While police stated that it was an attempt to burglary, the victims claimed that the burglars made away with a laptop, phone and Rs 10,000 in cash from the house. Around two or more burglars broke into the house, owned by Bhatia, after the family had gone to Delhi for a week to meet their relatives. Though the house had two security guards stationed at the front portion, the burglars gained access to the house by breaking open a bamboo fence and the glass window on the rear side.
They ransacked the entire house, but the police claimed the burglars got nothing and left the spot. The next morning, Bhatia’s manager lodged a complaint with the Indiranagar police station. It might be recalled that recently the burglars struck at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Lakshman’s son house in Kamakshipalaya and made away with Rs 5 crore. However in the police complaint was registered only for a theft of Rs 5 lakh, for reasons best known to the complainant.
At a few police stations, inspectors and their subordinates are spreading awareness regarding the recent increase in thefts and have urged jurisdictional residents to be alert and adopt security measures such as burglar alarms and CCTV cameras. “We are planning to print pamphlets advising residents to be careful about safe keeping their jewellery, cash or other valuables in unexpected places like kitchen, if they are leaving valuables at home. There are several other tactics to ensure that valuables remain safe at one’s house itself and we are trying to spread awareness among residents,” said a senior police officer.
Resident should ensure that no milk or newspapers are delivered while they are away. While carrying out recce for locked houses the burglars look for such tell tale signs as newspapers and milk packets lying outside to identify their targets, the officer added.
