Gang In Silver Car Vandalises Shops With Marble Shots

The gang, suspected to be under the influence of drugs, has been creating panic in both commercial and residential areas by randomly firing while moving in the vehicle. Incidents have been reported from Chandrayangutta, Shaheenagar, Santoshnagar, Yakutpura, Bhavaninagar, and surrounding localities.

Shop owners claimed that the marbles, fired from what is believed to be a powerful foreign-made gun, penetrated even 16 mm thick showroom glass panes and struck walls nearly 20 feet away. More than 14 such incidents have been reported over the past few days, leaving residents anxious and sleepless.

Locals said the gang was last seen heading towards Shaheenagar. “There are over five members in the gang, most of them reportedly addicted to marijuana,” said a shop owner from the area.

The accused appear to be operating fearlessly during late-night hours without concern for police action.

“I was attending to a woman customer around 9:45 pm on April 17 when I suddenly heard a loud thud. By the time I ducked and stood up, the entire 16 mm glass pane had cracked. When I went closer, I saw a hole. I initially feared someone had fired with the intention to kill either me or my customer, who started screaming for help,” said Uzair Ansari, owner of Arabian Glam Abayas in Chandrayangutta.

He added that upon checking later, he found a glass marble inside the shop. “On April 26, another marble struck my shop. When I checked with neighbouring establishments, I found that shops in the same row—Apollo Pharmacy, Basravi Mobiles, and Scoops Ice Cream near the Old Post Office in Chandrayangutta—had also suffered similar damage,” he said.

Saber Basaravi, owner of Basaravi Mobiles, lodged a complaint with Chandrayangutta police on April 18, but no action has been taken so far, Uzair said.

Since then, three rounds have been fired at the glass façade of Arabian Glam Abayas. Twice, the gang opened fire on Apollo Pharmacy, forcing the company to replace its front glass each time. At Basaravi Mobiles, the gang twice targeted the main door glass, leaving it shattered.

“We are in panic. The rogues must be arrested. I appeal to V. C. Sajjanar to take stern action against these mad people endangering the lives of common citizens,” Basaravi said.

CCTV cameras at Santoshnagar Apollo Pharmacy captured footage of the vehicle used. Police have collected the visuals. The same gang, in the same vehicle, fired two rounds at the entrance of Scoops Ice Creams, damaging the glass and five parked cars. They were also sighted in the vehicle at Yakutpura and Santoshnagar, where they fired marble bullets at Noorani Textiles and nearby shops, Basaravi added.

Special teams have been formed to trace the culprits. “We are making efforts to identify them with the available CCTV footage. The vehicle has been spotted at multiple crime scenes. We are coordinating with other police stations to track the gang. Stern action will follow. The case is under investigation, though the culprits may attempt to escape after learning we have identified their vehicle,” a police officer said.