Tuesday, February 24, 2009

From it hub to Killers’ Adda

“If you are in Bangalore and are still alive, you must be grateful to the murderers who have let you live… at least for today. Safety and security deserted this place a long time ago. And to ask us if we expect Bangalore Police to keep us safe is ridiculous!” says Raghavendra, resident of Bangalore’s prestigious retirees’ paradise in Jayanagar, which is fast turning into a killers’ adda.

Is Bangalore safe? This is a question that must be dwelt upon by anyone who is connected in any way to this city. After becoming a soft target for the terrorists within a couple of years, the once exuberant Bangalore is today rapidly turning into a ‘great corridor of burglars and killers’.

On January 20, the dwellers of Jayanagar woke up to the news of the cold blooded murder of three women, all from the same family. The next day, Gayathri, 25, housewife, was found murdered in her apartment.

A quick look at the statistics is scary. Bangalore has seen no less than 20 murders in the first 21 days of the year, which means not a single day has gone by this year that has not brought in the news of spilt blood of the innocent. The body count for the New Year started with the murder of Muniraju, a money lender, on January 2. Later, the city shuddered in fear as 79-year-old Rangan and his 72-year-old wife Vasantha were found ruthlessly murdered in their house in Jayanagar. Thefts, killing for cash and jewelry, murder of women living on their own, murder for vengeance – all these have now become a routine in the city. Even the city police now seem to be quite fed up of these daily crimes, keeping in mind the pace at which Bangalore Police carry out the investigation. The cases, it appears, won’t be solved anytime soon.....Continue