Rs 81 lakh gold stolen from factory,3 held

“While street-patrolling and nakabandis were a routine earlier too,in the last six months we have intensified these activities. We have conducted several surprise mass raids,nakabandis and combing operations at locations which are haunts of petty criminals. Proceedings were initiated against 4,800 persons under the Bombay Police Act and against 1,669 persons under the Criminal Procedure Code. Once the criminals are off the roads,crimes automatically reduce,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police,Zone 1,Vishwas Nangre-Patil adding that these preventive measures were likely to continue.

According to police officials from the seven police stations in Zone 1 — Azad Maidan,M R A Marg,J J Marg,Dongri,Colaba,Marine Drive and Cuffe Parade — petty criminals are usually found in areas like the Crawford Market,Musafirkhana,Fashion Street and the Cross Maidan during the night.

Statistics for 2009 till now show that there have been two dacoities,six robberies,16 cases of pickpocketing,five cases of chain-snatching,61 cases of house break-ins and 255 cases of thefts. However,even as the number of cases has gone down,the rate of detection in the registered cases is minimal. Of 255,only 69 thefts have been solved so far while only 14 of the 61 house break-ins have been detected. Both the dacoities are yet to be cracked but all the six robberies have been solved. Eleven pickpocketing cases and four chain-snatchings are yet to be detected.  

However,even as the statistics (see box) tell a bitter-sweet tale of the cops,they can now win the support of residents. Naresh Sadhwani of the Strand Marg Residents Association stressed that due to the efforts of the Colaba police station,the police chowki in their area has begun functioning again. “A couple of policemen are always available at the chowki and since then we haven’t had any major incidents of crime in our area,” Sadhwani said.

September 26,2007 & June 9,2008,
16 robberies
68 house break-ins
329 thefts
105 motor-vehicle offences
19 chain-snatchings

September 26,2008 & June 9,2009
7 robberies
60 house break-ins
286 thefts
100 motor-vehicle offences
2 chain snatchings