In upscale layout, streetlights are few, no police patrol, say neighbours

An isolated, tree-lined road with few streetlights leads to Gauri Lankesh’s house in Ideal Homes Layout in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

BENGALURU: An isolated, tree-lined road with few streetlights leads to Gauri Lankesh’s house in Ideal Homes Layout in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. On the entire stretch of the road, there are just seven houses and many vacant sites, including on either side of Gauri’s house. A lone apartment complex stands on the other side of the road.

Ideal Homes is to considered to be an upscale layout where several celebrities, including actor couple Malavika and Avinash,  and other popular actors like Ganesh and Darshan reside. But the road where Gauri Lankesh’s house is located looks under-developed compared to adjacent roads. There are only two streetlights and the entire stretch is dark after 5pm. According to residents, they have never seen police patrol vehicles or beat police during nights.

“We have been living here for 25 years. Gauri’s house was constructed at the same time we constructed our house. Her mother used to live here all these years. But as she has some health problems, she moved out to the younger daughter’s house a few years ago and Gauri was living alone here since then. In the last 25 years, I have never seen a police vehicle or beat police during nights,” said a 60-year-old woman.
Surprisingly, none of the buildings on that road have CCTV cameras except for Gauri’s house. Not just that road, even on the next two parallel roads, only one apartment complex has CCTV cameras.
According to neighbors, Gauri never interacted with any of them. She used to start her day around 9.30-10 am and would return only after 9.30 pm.

“It was rare that she would return home early,” said a neighbour. Most of them did not even know that Gauri lived in that locality. Police sources said there are no CCTV cameras towards Marappa Layout, Javaregowdanadoddi and Channasandra areas. However after Tuesday’s incident, many residents have decided to install CCTV cameras. “I will inform my building owner to install CCTV cameras first. Let them charge us for it, but they must ensure safety measures,” said a resident of the apartment complex opposite her house.

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