Armed gangs aiming to enter villas and apartments in two gated communities in Sarjapur, Bengaluru, have recently caused serious alarm in gated communities. In the Metropolis Fair Oaks gated neighbourhood in Sarjapur, Bengaluru, CCTV footage showed a five-person group loitering with deadly weapons.
When approached by Deccan Herald reporters, the Metropolis Fair Oaks union’s president and vice president chose not to comment out of concern for possible repercussions for stating their thoughts.
However, a resident who lived close to the gated enclave told this reporter that two people were first seen entering on July 10 in the community. They walked around for two hours.
Image Source: Settlin
“On July 11, the same gang returned with three more people and made multiple unsuccessful attempts to break into houses within the community,” the resident added. Both incidents happened between one and three in the morning.
A similar occurrence also happened in Palm Ville, Bengaluru, a gated enclave roughly one hundred metres away from Metropolis Oaks.
DH was informed by the president of the Palm Ville union that on June 27, two people broke past the gate to access the society. They tried to break into an empty flat but could not unlock a security box. No items were stolen from any of the houses, and it was confirmed that this gang was not the same as the one that entered Metropolis Oaks.
Image Source: Peninsula Infra
Residents raised concern about ineffective police patrolling in both instances, which may have given the criminals more confidence. Additionally, they asserted that the police had not recorded their complaints.
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A police officer, however, refuted these claims. He said, “We didn’t refuse to file a complaint. Instead, we recommended filing an FIR, but the residents were reluctant to do so and sought suggestions to improve security.”
Shortage of Manpower
Bengaluru District SP Mallikarjun Baladandi told DH, “We have only half the staff compared to the city police, which affects the frequency of patrolling. However, it is done regularly. In previous instances, we have apprehended gangs operating similarly. It appears this particular gang is new, but we will apprehend them soon.”
Image Source: Direct Map
Another police officer pointed out that the Sarjapur police station, Bengaluru, is in charge of 37 villages and that the neighbourhood is expanding quickly. The station lacks enough personnel to patrol the area adequately.
“We have only two personnel available for night patrols. It is challenging, but we ensure our rounds are completed,” the officer stated. He said that gated communities are the primary target for these gangs.
