They are literally spending sleepless nights. As the night sets in, residents of Indraprastha Colony, Anand Nagar, Dhanalaxmi Colony, Kethana Avenue and other colonies at Bandlaguda in Nagole patrol the streets as over 15 thefts were reported since last fortnight.
Worried residents
Such is the impact of thefts that residents here are now worried to attend functions or leave on tours fearing that their houses would be targeted by thieves. On August 4, robbers struck K. Madhu Goud’s two-floored house in Kethana Avenue Colony and decamped with gold and some cash. The intruders had broken the locks of the rooms in the first floor, before breaking into the house.
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Last Saturday, T. Srinivas, a resident of the same colony had gone to nearby Anand Nagar to attend a function and had stayed overnight. In the wee hours of Sunday, robbers raided his house but they did not find anything valuable.
“You never know what happens. The moment owners lock their houses and visit other places, they strike,” says Ravindranath Tagore, president of Kethana Avenue Colony. It is not just one colony. Similar incidents of burglaries were reported in surrounding colonies as well. In August first week, thieves struck at eight houses on the same day in Anand Nagar, Indraprastha Colony and Dhanalaxmi Colony.
While five owners were reported to have lost gold, cash and silver, others did not lose much. “They seem to be looking only for gold and other ornaments as electronics and other valuables are not touched. We have been living here for the last 30 years and this is the first time, thefts are reported,” says Chakradhar Rao, former secretary of Indraprastha Colony.
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The modus operandi is almost same in all the cases. Locked houses are the targets and the intruders strike between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Invariably, they cover the lock with cloth and then use a rod to break it open.
Ever since these thefts began, residents have decided to take up patrolling on their own to buttress the police vigil. For the last few days, Hayathnagar and L.B. Nagar police have intensified patrolling but thieves continue to operate, says K. Appa Rao, another resident.
The Cyberabad police, however, said that the situation was not alarming. “We have some clues to trace the burglars. We are taking necessary steps to prevent thefts and very shortly arrest them,” said L.B. Nagar Inspector P. Srinivas Reddy.