KOCHI: Panicked by the recent theft attempts by members of the notorious Kuruva gang at Chendamangalam and North Paravoor, residents have started night patrolling in the areas in coordination with the police. One such group, at Karimpadam ward in Chendamangalam, comprises youngsters trained in martial arts like kalari and karate.
On October 13, two half-naked persons wearing masks had tried to break into 10 houses in Chendamangalam and North Paravoor. Though they did not succeed, the entire incident left the residents in panic. “The people, including those in the neighbouring wards, are afraid as they have never faced such a situation before. This is a rural area. Until now, they had only heard about such theft attempts by dangerous groups taking place in cities,” said Shyja Sajeev, councillor of Karimpadam ward where four of the 10 theft attempts took place.
A 12-member community watch group was formed at Karimpadam for night patrolling. “After the theft attempts, Ernakulam Rural SP Vaibhav Saxena asked us to provide the names of the people who volunteered to coordinate with police. We selected 12 youngsters, several of whom are trained in martial arts, to coordinate with the police and conduct night patrolling. It starts at 12.30am and continues till 3-3.30am. The youngsters roam the byroads in groups and stay on the lookout for people moving around in a suspicious manner,” she said.
North Paravoor municipality chairperson Beena Sasidharan said residents decided to carry out night patrolling in groups as the police are unable to cover the entire stretch.“For months, we had been asking the police to strengthen night patrolling, but they always gave the excuse that there is not enough manpower to cover all the places. While there have been minor thefts in the area, it is for the first time we are witnessing theft attempts by an organised gang,” she said.
Meanwhile, the police are yet to get confirmation that the two persons who tried to break into houses in Chendamangalam and North Paravoor were Kuruva gang members. The police said they had shared the suspects’ images with the Tamil Nadu police and collecting information.