Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In the past month, 21 citizens have been looted. Theft and house break-in incidents have crossed 100, totaling 114 cases. Daily, at least two people are threatened with knives or weapons, while four thefts occur every day. With barely 20% of cases solved, citizens are saying the police are truly asleep.
During a Ganeshotsav coordination meeting, city leaders expressed serious concern over rising crime, knife attacks linked to substance abuse, and rampant lootings. Citizens are being robbed on the streets, yet DB squads and the crime branch fail to solve most cases. In one incident, 35-year-old rickshaw driver Pravin Dadmel was stopped near the central bus station at 3 pm. Two criminals threatened him with a knife, snatched Rs 35,000, demanded another Rs 95,000 online, and fled after dropping him at Jadhav Mandir. In another shocking case, repeat offender Mahendra Salve even attacked police while living in Mukundwadi.
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Daily Thefts at Bus Stations, Police Show No Urgency
Thefts are rising in crowded areas of Cidco and the central bus station. On August 25, Savita Hivrale’s mother had her mangalsutra snatched in the crowd. On August 28, 70-year-old Suman Khadakdhare lost her 96-mani gold chain while boarding a bus at 11 am. Earlier, on August 24, Ram Wakle’s wife lost a one-tola gold pendant while getting on a bus. Despite daily lootings, no thief has been caught, alarming citizens.
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August sees century mark in thefts and lootings
Crime type
Incidents
Lootings
21
Vehicle & other thefts
94
House break-ins
20
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Record-breaking cases
From January to July, 94 house break-ins were reported, with suspects caught in only seven cases. Out of 909 thefts, only 182 were solved. Most crimes occurred in MIDC Waluj, Waluj, Jawaharnagar, Mukundwadi, Kranti Chowk, and Cidco. Over 60 women and senior citizens lost their gold chains to thieves, who often escaped due to negligent policing. Retired officers note that with the crime branch inactive and local DB squads losing interest, case resolution rates have sharply dropped.