A series of auto music system thefts in Vashi, Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai police holds Iftaar party at Vashi
Save the Seawoods Lake in Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai is now Naik Mumbai - How funny & cruel?
War in Mumbai, shame on the Indian political system
Mumbai becoming a playground for auto-theft gangs
Residents lose faith in the police, tiered of paying bribes for getting the paper work done
Thursday/ January 21, 2010
In an incident which seemed like a planned robbery, 10 music systems and a couple of AC Ducts were stolen from ten different cars last night from sector 7, Vashi. Residents of the M, N and P row of the posh row houses in this area woke up today to the rude shock of the series of auto music system theft. The pattern of the theft was similar in all the case. The robbers broke the rear window glass of the cars and took out the players. Incidentally, all the cars which included a Logan, a Swift, an Indica, a Spark, an Alto and a few more, didn’t have central lock systems. PSI Ashok Jhadav came on the spot on the complaint of Prashant Kumar, owner of the broken Spark and did a panchnama. However, he was more interested in blaming the watchman and having tea in the locality. When asked how he would carry the case forward, he said,
“These incidents keep happening. Society members should be more careful and employ separate watchman for every lane. The police will do its duty as per the norms but there’s only upto a level that police can help.”
It’s not for the first time that such a theft has taken place in this area. Residents complain these thefts have become a routine feature. Apart from the music players, Auto logos and also the vehicles themselves have been stolen from the area in the past. The police have still not found any clue to these thefts. Mrs. Abdul Rafique Belif, from whose Indica the player was stolen, said in an angry tone,
“The police are good for nothing. Some time ago, my brand new Scorpio was stolen from this same locality. When I went to lodge an FIR, I was not only made to run from Pillar to post but also pay bribes several times just to get an NC for insurance claim.”
Another person (name withheld) claimed that he was the only person who went to lodge an official complaint for the last night theft since others didn’t want to get into police’s legalities, which they believed to be good for nothing. He Lamented,
“I was a fool to think contrary. I had to pay Rs. 1000 bribe to the duty officer just to get the NC on time,”
Ward Congress activist Sugandha Shaileskar assured the residents that the police will co-operate and try and nab the thieves as soon as possible. She even accompanied a victim to Vashi police station. Despite that the person had to pay bribe for an NC. It’s not surprising what another resident, R R Bindra said,
“These thefts have become so common now that I have got a package with the garage owner for repair and damage control. I know I have no option but get the repair done every time as I know the police is never going to do anything.”
