UNSAFE AFTER DARK

UNSAFE AFTER DARK
The Times of India

Night-time muggings are on the rise. Not just on the remote outskirts but even in the heart of the city.

4/7
A BPO executive was waylaid by muggers on Airport Road and forcibly taken to an ATM centre by muggers and told to withdraw everything in his account.

3/7
A 30-year-old photographer had to stop near on Hesaraghatta Main Road at 11 pm because his scooter ran out of petrol. As he was refuelling, three policemen allegedly asked for his papers. He was then frisked and whatever money he had on him was taken. He was assaulted and taken to the Vidyaranyapura Police Station. There, another police officer kicked him in the head and the photographer was injured to the extent that he needed two stitches. He was taken home by the police at around 12.30 am.

2/7
Two college students were assaulted and robbed at Kempapura.

28/6
A software professional was stabbed and robbed of his gold chain and mobile phone near Victoria Road.

26/6
A software professional returning from work in a car was followed by four men on two bikes on Indiranagar 100 Feet Road. Though they stopped the car, he managed to get away, but was chased by the bikers to an apartment building in Kodihalli.

A city once considered safe is no longer that. While nightshift workers such as call centre employees are especially vulnerable to mugging, everyone's beginning to feel the fear. Many reasons are being cited for this change: negligence of the cops; more people going out partying; public carelessness; or just a symptom of heavy urbanisation.

City grows, so does crime
Rallyist Anitha Kholay feels the city is going the Delhi way. "Crime has gone up, the working class has increased and so has anti-social bahaviour," she says. It is a natural fallout of growth, says DJ Rohit Barker. "Any big city in the world has a problem with crime, and Bangalore is no longer small.

But the question is, how are we dealing with it? I feel the cops are to blame and they are just getting away with bad excuses," he says. Fashion guru Prasad Bidapa agrees: "There are new, long empty stretches of roads which are a muggers' haven. We have to learn to be more careful."

Cops must act
Rohit believes only policing will help. "Every time something like this happens, the cops bleat about how understaffed they are. But go to a nightclub and you will have at least 7-8 cops barging in at closing time, and a Hoysala parked outside. There are about ten nightclubs in the city, and that makes it a hundred cops just there.

What's more important? Protecting the people on the road or harassing tax payers who are just out to have a good time?" There has to be more night patrol, says musician and mother of two, Suma Sudhindra: "They need to be more accessible to the public and crack down on offenders." Prasad says the cops need some incentives to do the job. "Pay them better, equip them better and they will do their job better. Another 100 Hoysalas on the road are compulsory," he says.

Public must be proactive
Anitha says she still sees girls trying to get transport at night, alone. "I'm always with my husband so I'm safe. Call centres should get more responsible and provide proper transportation." Agrees Suma, "I have two daughters and obviously I worry about them. Even if they are safe from muggers, a drunken driver can just knock into them. Bangalore was such a safe city, and that's how I want my city to be. But everyone must be more responsible."