BHUBANESWAR: Twenty-four-year-old Ayyappan, a native of Chennai, arrived in Bhubaneswar around 10 days back. He became a target of snatchers a few hundred metres from Mancheswar police station. "I was returning home on Tuesday night when two bike-borne miscreants attempted to snatch my mobile phone. Since I was holding on to the device very tightly, they failed and sped away," he said.
The Capital City, for all its infrastructure boost, tech support and police presence, has turned into a haven for robbers. From mobile phones to personal accessories; jewellery to cash, these robbers target everything. And there is no specific time which they consider safe.
The numbers show how alarming the scene is. Khandagiri police registered five cases of robbery between May 1 and 26. The Capital police station registered four while Saheed Nagar police recorded one case.
Mancheswar police registered three robberies whereas Chandrasekharpur police registered two such cases. These are just five police stations where 15 cases were registered. The Capital has 25 police stations while many cases go unreported in the City.
An officer said police are finding it tough to check the snatching menace, especially on the outskirts of the City. "The police stations on the outskirts have very little staff to man the entire area of jurisdiction," he added.
The problem is as grim in the heart of the city too. A scientist of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre would vouch for it as he had a narrow escape around the early evening hours at the guarded Station Square.
"I was trying to cross the road when two persons tried to grab my mobile phone. One of them punched me when they did not succeed. After the incident, I am trying to remain alert," he added. Police say much of these snatching are committed by drug addicts who need quick money to buy the contraband. However, the problem is with poor surveillance.
There is very little police presence during the nights which has emboldened the criminals while senior officers of local police stations do not venture out for patrolling anymore. Besides, periodic blockades have become a thing of the past too.
With man-power and fuel shortage crippling their movement, patrol vans are mostly stationary at certain junctions. There is no uniform presence of police across the city nor is there any fear of the men in uniform. "Another problem also is the poor visibility of senior officers of Commissionerate Police," said a retired police officer.
While this has led to a rise in snatching, daring thefts have also gone up. Close to 70 theft cases were registered in five police stations between May 1 and 26. That is how bad it is. "Special drives are being launched to arrest the snatchers. Police officers have been directed to enhance patrolling and improve their visibility to curb such offences," said Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh.
To check street crimes more effectively, Commissionerate Police has urged the citizens to report such offences on its WhatsApp number 7077798111.