Although the district police claim that they have stepped up vigil to curb crimes in Baleswar by deploying patrolling staff and installing CCTVs in the vulnerable points, yet loot and snatching incidents have increased of late.
The denizens of the town while blame the failure of police to protect their life and property, functionaries of the district Bar Association also levelling similar allegations against the district police and district Collector for failing to provide safety and security have threatened to embark on agitation.
The goons are targeting the people who are returning with cash from banks. They are committing crimes after threatening the victims at gun point and fleeing in speedy bikes.
It may be noted that on Friday, a resident of Mallikashpur was robbed of Rs 3 lakh in broad daylight while he was returning to his home after withdrawing the amount from bank. Similarly, on Saturday another man while was returning his home after drawing Rs 1.5 lakh from bank, he was looted near the ADM square. Similarly, on the same day another incident of loot was reported in the Aradbazar area. Two brothers from Jaleswar had come to Baleswar to visit a doctor. When they were returning in their bike, they were waylaid by goons and robbed of cash at gunpoint. The miscreants snatched about Rs 82,000 cash from them. The siblings lodged an online FIR after reaching Jaleswar.
It also may be noted in a recently reported incident, a man from Kerala, Sumit Devasi, who came to Baleswar allegedly fell prey to the looters and lost his life. Reports said while he was waiting for a conveyance to go to a prawn hatchery at Chandipur at the Bus stand, an auto having already three occupants offered a lift. The three occupants in the guise of passengers sitting in the auto on the way to Chandipur snatched cash of around Rs 70,000 from him besides his belongings at a secluded place near Purnabaleswar after severely thrashing him. The man with serious injuries was admitted in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). He succumbed to the injuries in the DHH during treatment on May 31.
Similarly, house break thefts too have been reported from different parts across the district. In all these cases the police are clueless and miscreants are committing crimes without any fear, it is alleged.