Aditya Rao, an industrialist and a resident of Dollars Colony, J.P. Nagar IV Phase, was asleep when burglars broke into his house. Failing to lay their hands on anything valuable inside, they drove away in his new car parked in front of the house in June. They had picked up the car keys from the house.
Gayatri S., another resident of the area, also fell victim to burglars. They entered her house by breaking open the window grill when she was away with her family for two hours in the evening.
These are not isolated incidents. Residents of Dollars Colony, that houses the affluent of the city, complain that there have been at least 10 burglaries in the last two months alone. “Targeting any house here promises huge dividends. The area is also home to a large floating population of those who work as helps and drivers in the houses. The [rich and poor] divide is so stark that it should also be seen from a sociological perspective,” a senior police officer said. “While the residents of the colony are negligent, the poor who making a living in the area end up as suspects every time,” said an officer attached to the J.P. Nagar Police Station.
Dollars Colony Resident’s Welfare Association has been closely working with the police to mitigate the problem, but to no avail. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.S. Revanna was present at a recent grievance redress meet held at the colony.
Gundabhat, secretary of the association, said that while there was adequate patrolling during the night, it was during day time that the burglars mark out houses to strike at night.
He said that police presence during the day might have some effect.
The association is now planning to install CCTV cameras on all streets in the colony, hoping that it would help the police to arrest the culprits.
