In a bizarre robbery incident, a group of thieves broke into a house in New Delhi’s Rohini Sector 8 on the night of July 20-21 but found everything insignificant of value. However, the house owner and police officers were left awestruck by an unexpected “generous” act displayed by the thieves who left behind a note of Rs 500 at the main gate of the house before making an escape.
Mr M Ramakrishna , the identified victim of burglary, an 80 year old retired engineer reported that he and his wife had gone to Gurgaon on the evening of July 19 to visit their son. On the morning of July 21, the couple received a call from their neighbour’s informing them of burglary at their residence. On reaching their house, they found the lock to the main gate broken but to everybody’s surprise the thieves stole nothing.
Thieves With Good Deeds at Shahdara, June 2024
In a similar incident, a CCTV footage from Shahdara captured 2 drunk thieves trying to rob a couple at gunpoint. On frisking the couple for money, they found that they merely carried Rs 20 with them. The elderly pair was left in a shock after the robbers handed them Rs 100 after inspection. The video of the incident went viral on social media breaking people into socio-economic debates.
Revival of Kachcha Baniyan Gang in Delhi?
In the month of June 2024, residents of Delhi feared their lives because of recurring robbery incidents caught on camera in South Delhi’s posh colonies. A three member gang wearing only undergarments was found cutting grills of balconies and attempting to steal valuables after breaking into houses. Following such incidents, the Delhi police conducted raids and search operations around Delhi’s Jahanpanah forest and GK-2.
The residents of these colonies were advised to stay alert of thieves and install CCTV cameras in their nearby surroundings. Although, the police in its statement said that they have not come to a firm conclusion about the gang’s association to the Kachcha Baniyan gang of 90s, they have found the gang using the same method of working and are yet to discover whether the gang made use of oil and mud on their bodies.
More Thefts in Delhi Than 2022
Delhi witnessed an increase in theft incidents in 2024, surpassing the figures reported last year. This has raised alarm bells for the law enforcing authorities to take firm actions in and around Delhi to curb the increase in incidents. Delhi Police has reported that around 260 murders were recorded in the first half of 2024 as compared to 240 during the same span of 6 months previous year. According to their statistics, 3,700 snatchings, 740 robberies and 105 vehicle robberies have been reported so far in Delhi. While these figures simply reflect the number of FIRs filed in Delhi, one can imagine the number of such crimes to be higher in reality.
A Need To Look for Collaborative Efforts
Cooperation between the citizens and law enforcement authorities are essential for ensuring the safety of the city residents. Adoption of preventive measures, intensification of police patrolling and vigilance, fast reporting mechanisms are important for thwarting potential theft attempts. This escalating trend of increase in crimes is a matter of concern which needs to be resolved to strive a safer environment for Delhi’s inhabitants.
