Bhubaneswar: Despite efforts by the Commissionerate Police to make the city crime free, criminals are ruling the roost in Salia Sahi under Nayapalli police limits.
Salia Sahi is emerging as the city’s new crime hub. It has earned the notoriety of being a safe haven for criminals over the past few years, with cops remaining mute spectators.
According to police sources, 150 complaints have been received in the last three months and a maximum number of cases settled through mutual consent. Nearly 20 cases have been registered and as many as 50 accused persons have been arrested and presented before court.
Salia Sahi comprises 36 slum clusters and stretches of greenery. Population of this slum are spread over 252-acres and surrounded by landmarks like Fortune Tower, Xavier Institute of Management and Ekamra Kanan is close to one lakh.
“Petty and serious crimes like hooliganism, theft, eve-teasing, group clashes, rape, loot, armed robbery, illegal liquor and brown sugar trade are frequent criminal activities reported from thearea. While some slum dwellers are daily wage earners, many others are into odd jobs and resort to illegal practices,” said a source.
A major reason behind the proliferation of crime in the area is the lack of regulation on tenants, who migrate here from other districts and state. After committing crimes at other places, the accused use the slums as their hide-outs as it is easy to get shelter here pretty cheaply.
Earlier, police busted a fake currency racket at Salia Sahi and arrested the mastermind Rajkishore Tudu and one of his aides Ratnakar Singh March 17 this year.
At least three persons of the area have been arrested on charges of abducting and raping minor girls.
Besides, Ashwin Kumar Majhi, a resident of Salia Sahi, was shot dead my miscreants in front of his house last year, but police have failed to crack the case so far. Besides, a man was also arrested in connection with running brown sugar racket here a couple of months ago.
When asked, Nayapalli inspector-in-charge Sangram Patnaik said: “The actual reason behind the people indulging in criminal activities here is availability of county liquor and drugs. Lack of awareness among the slum dwellers has also led to the rise of crime in the slum.
“Several criminal activities and cases are being reported on a daily basis from the area and efforts are on to settle maximum number of cases through mutual consent.” PNN
