Ogale was kidnapped and murdered by two youths from the Masulkar Colony area on September 8. (File photo)Shaken by the murder of seven-year-old Aditya Ogale earlier this month, residents of Ajmera-Masulkar Colony area in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad are set to undertake a candle march on Sunday evening to spread awareness in residential societies about youths who indulge in anti-social activities.
The residents will also raise their voice against “growing goondaism” in the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The police, on the other hand, said they will soon come up with a strategy to curb anti-social activities among youngsters.
Ogale was kidnapped and murdered by two youths from the Masulkar Colony area on September 8.
“Our march is basically to seek justice for Aditya. We want strong punishment for the two accused. We also will seek to create awareness among society residents about the anti-social behaviour of youngsters. In the case of Aditya Ogale, the prime accused used to throw stones, bottles and create much nuisance within the society’s premises. Such cases should be immediately reported to the police. Otherwise, it puts the lives of other society members in danger,” said Arjun Thakre, a former corporator from the area.
Residents also plan to meet Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner Ankush Shinde and urge him to initiate strong measures to curb rising instances of crime, especially by youngsters in the city. “We plan to submit a memorandum to the commissioner to make the city safer for living. The latest incident is a warning of things to come if we do not have a strong strategy,” said Thakre, who is also the vice-president of the local BJP unit.
In the Ogale case, besides the prime accused Manthan Bhosale, 20, another accused Aniket Samdar, 21, is also associated with some gangs operating in slums, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police said, adding that they suspect the role of others as well in the crime, as the duo had demanded a ransom of Rs 20 crore from the child’s father.
Days after the murder, a gang attacked a youth with swords in broad daylight last week in Pimpri’s Guru Nanak Market before walking away. The youth was allegedly attacked over previous enmity. Ten months ago, in the same bustling Pimpri Camp, 10-12 sword-wielding teenagers had walked into a shop, attacked the owner and walked off with footwear.
Sachin Thopte, the president of Pimpri-Chinchwad Advocates’ Bar Association, said, “The morcha by Ajmera-Masulkar Colony is timely. There is a pressing need to create awareness among residents about alerting the police regarding anti-social elements not only on the premises of societies but also on the streets. If, for instance, a woman or a girl is being stalked, we should immediately support them to lodge a police complaint. Such incidents should not be taken lightly.”
Thopte said that earlier this week, they held a meeting with the police commissioner. “We discussed a few issues, including a police chowky for our court premises and the growing goondaism in the city. We will be holding another round of discussion with the police and urging them to take decisive action against youths who create trouble,” he said.
Asked if the police have any strategy to deal with the “growing goondaism” in the city, Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner Ankush Shinde told The Indian Express, “We are finalising a strategy to curb crimes by belligerent youths. We have also prepared a list of juvenile offenders. We will be taking action against youths who gang up at chowks, temples and other busy places and create a nuisance. We will also be questioning society residents on whether youths cause trouble on their premises. The plan will most probably become operational from the coming week.”
Activist Kailas Jadhav of Dapodi said, “Since every youngster today has a cell phone with him, he immediately calls his ‘gang’ to the spot if he is in a fight… Gangs of youths freely carry swords and attack at will. There is no fear of the police among the younger generation. Aditya’s murder is a case in point. The prime accused returned to the scene of the crime and tried to help the police as if nothing happened.”
Local activist Veena Sonwalkwar said the police should ensure that every society has CCTV cameras and that they are operational. “Not just the society premises, but even the premises outside and roads should have CCTV surveillance. In the case of Aditya Ogale, when we tried to check CCTV footage, we found the cameras were either missing or non-functional, which hampered the police’s probe.”
Sonwalkar said, “Youngsters in Pimpri-Chinchwad are taking to crime in a big way. This could be happening because there is no police deterrence. The youths can be found in chowks and other busy places, harassing women. If police presence is increased in the city, it would make our city safer, especially for women.”