Guwahati Becoming a Favourite Destination for Car Lifters

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Aug 20: It is usually presumed that being the biggest and busiest metro city of the region, Guwahati police must be well equipped and alerted enough to check various criminal activities in and around the city. Moreover, it is considered that the heightened walls, iron grills and the security personnel engaged in 24X7 can protect the parking spots thereby ensuring the vehicles in various hotels, office premises and residents. Indeed, your presumption is wrong.

As, according to a report of the Assam Police which was made available to The Sentinel, altogether 2,187 vehicles were stolen from across the State in 2017 out of which 1,363 numbers of vehicles were lifted from Guwahati city alone. Moreover, in 2016, 2,329 vehicles were stolen from across the state out of which 1,155 numbers of vehicles were lifted from Guwahati alone. This year too, till August 7, the state has already lost 656 vehicles.

Surprisingly, even after the establishment of the Police Commissionerate in the State’s capital city, areas that fall under the jurisdictions of Dispur, Basistha, Jalukbari and Panbazaar police stations have been prone to car lifters rackets for years.

As such, 219 vehicles in 2016 and 254 vehicles in 2017 were lifted from various areas under Dispur police station. On the other hand, 159 vehicles in 2016 and 151 vehicles in 2017 were lifted from various places under Basistha police station. Contrary, 107 in 2016 and 126 vehicles in 2017 were lifted from various corners under Jalukabari police station while 101 vehicles in 2016 and 119 vehicles in 2017 were lifted from various places under Panbazaar police station.

Under this given situation, every right-thinking people of the state will question the competency and credibility of the city police despite that they have been claiming a series of modernization undertaken to strengthen their men. Considering all these, visitors from outside the state, who are usually destined to Guwahati on various occasions will think twice to come with their personal vehicles. Beyond all these, if the Guwahati city itself is not secured for one’s hard-earned properties, where would we get security then?