By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Cases of theft and burglary are on the rise in the city. The recent arrest of a gang of four youths from Nongrim Hills who are involved in various cases of theft, burglary, car lifting is an indication that residents of the town have to be extra cautious both away from home and while at home.
These residents said that cases of theft generally goes up during the winter months because most residents prefer to spend the winter vacation in some warmer pastures and the thieves take full advantage of this fact.
In a recent theft case in Kench’s Trace where the thieves had stolen 40 saris along with an ATM card is an act of dare devilry. Though there was a lacunae from the side of the house owner since she had kept the ATM pin number along with the card it was rather easier for the thieves to run riot with the card in their hand.
A resident of Burnside, Rilbong said that she has been noticing unknown faces from a particular community keeping a close watch as to which house has no inmates along with its entry and exit points. “They loiter in the area keeping a close eye in every house whether there is anyone so that they can take an attempt,” said the resident adding that she once asked these loiterers as to what they are doing there. “We are hunting for garbage so that they can be disposed off in the municipality truck tomorrow morning,” she was replied by the loiterers.
A trend generally seen here is that residents go to some warmer pastures in order to avoid the wintry condition.
But with theft cases on the rise it is giving them sleepless nights since they cannot afford to leave their house or property at the mercy of the almighty. “Earlier I used to lockup the entire house and leave for Kolkata where I spend my winter with my son’s family. But after few attempts of burglary and theft cases in the past few years, I can no longer think of locking up,” said a resident of Polo.
Another such resident said that they employ someone to look after their house when they are away but then such caretakers do not look after the houses as their own as it is only a temporary respite.
These residents opined that the thieves are clever as they know the trend during the winter as they can run riot in an empty house. They said that such cases were never heard or seen in the earlier years but now this has become a part and parcel of the city.
Meanwhile, many residents said that dogs are a solution to this growing menace of theft and burglary.
“But now we have to be on an alert always since some miscreant or the other is perhaps trying to have a go,” said a resident of Laitumkhrah.