Fear psychosis runs high

Hanmant Rai, along with his wife and three children, resides in a house located in the farm of a military officer near Hadapsar Railway station for the last eight months. “We would not stay here unless the security is stepped up,” the Rai family said.

Govind Kodre, a tempo driver residing at Mundhawa says he has started avoiding driving at late night hours as the roads in the vicinity are deserted and ill-lit.

Mangal Kodre, a housewife residing at Kodre Vasti for the last three years said even the idea of staying alone scares her now. “I have been staying in Mundhawa for more than three decades and have never felt more unsafe. The dacoits may attack our bungalow hoping to find many valuables,” she said.

Her son Sandip (27), who runs a workshop at Bhosari, however, begged to differ. “We are safe here as the neighbours are our own relatives. However, still the security in the area should be increased,” he felt. “This vast area is not densely populated as most of the land is used for agricultural purposes,” he added.

Sudhakar Kamble, the site supervisor from the Ahura Garden projects where dacoits killed three of a family, said crime was on the rise in the area which was once known for its serenity. Two years back, some unidentified persons had tried to rob the passengers of a train here, he added.

Inspector in-charge of the Wanowrie police station, Nandakumar Pardeshi, however, thinks that the area is as safe as any other localities in the city. “We are making maximum utilisation of the available resources and whenever required, we ask for cooperation from the public. We have already started many committees of vigilant residents and successfully launched the watch your neighbourhood scheme to curb crime in the area more effectively,” he said.