Kalyaninagar residents seek better vigil after burglary

PUNE: The Kalyaninagar Residents’ Association (KNRA) urged police as well as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to increase vigilance in the area on Saturday, two days after two flats were burgled of cash and silver utensils on Thursday.
The association, a group representing a number of housing societies in Kalyaninagar, also urged the authorities to clamp down on mushrooming commercial properties in the area.
The meeting, which was held at the Kalyaninagar Joggers’ Park, was attended by assistant commissioner of police Shivaji Pawar and inspector Rajendra Kadam of the Yerwada police. The association raised the issues like lack of marshals on night patrol, an insufficient number of CCTV cameras and a difficult verification process for security guards and domestic helps.
On the burglary, Pawar said arrests in the case were imminent. “We cannot disclose more about the suspects, as they may be involved in other such cases. We will, however, can assure that they will be arrested soon,” he said.
The residents also complained that night-patrolling had almost stopped in the area. “Some years back, when a similar incident happened, we had requested the police to start patrolling in the area. And it did happen for a few weeks, before stopping abruptly,” Divesh Agarwal, a local resident, said.
The residents also complained about the number of bars and restaurants that have mushroomed in the area, which was bringing “criminal elements” into the area. Some even urged the locals’ opinion to be factored in before issuing no-objection certificates to such commercial establishments. “I think the old process for issuing an NOC before a bar and restaurant opens in area should be brought back where locals should also be consulted,” activist and local resident Satish Khot said.