Guwahati: The recent arrest of robbers prowling the streets of Guwahati, masquerading as vegetable sellers, has triggered widespread concern among city residents regarding their safety. City dwellers have underscored the necessity for heightened vigilance within each residential premise and beseeched law enforcement to intensify nocturnal patrols.
The city transformed into an epicentre after the capital was relocated from Shillong to Dispur in 1972. Experiencing rapid expansion over the decades, the city presently houses approximately 13 lakh inhabitants, excluding the transient population. Thousands of merchants from neighbouring districts, including Darrang, Udalguri, Nalbari, Barpeta, Morigaon, and Nagaon, commute daily for various commercial activities, including trade in vegetables, fish, meat, and other commodities across the city. Cabs also serve as sustenance for many.
On Sunday, police detained seven robbers from the Fatashil Ambari area of the city. Of them, one was a cab driver and another was the receiver of the plundered properties. The rest would transport vegetables from Dalgaon in Darrang district to vend here and perpetrate robberies at night before departing the city.
The secretary of the Avishka Apartment Society situated at Chandmari, a prominent locality of the city, Brajen Sarma, told TOI that the arrest of dacoits circulating through the city posing as vegetable vendors and committing robberies has prompted them to reassess their security arrangements within the apartment premises. "Last year, one theft occurred in our apartment premises. Subsequently, we augmented CCTVs and employed a night chowkidar. Previously, we maintained only a day chowkidar," he stated, while underscoring the necessity for increased police patrolling during nighttime.
He further indicated that no person, including vegetable vendors, is permitted to enter their premises without society authorisation. He emphasised that every household must exercise stringent vigilance regarding the entry of unfamiliar persons.
Meanwhile, a resident of the Silpukhuri area, speaking anonymously, expressed that leaving one's residence even briefly has become precarious. "Now people cannot embark on travels as there exists a perpetual possibility of robbery or theft. How does one ascertain whether someone is a miscreant or not?" he said, adding, police surveillance and public vigilance are essential to address such circumstances.