By IANS,
Gurgaon : Residents of Palam Vihar, an upscale neighbourhood in Gurgaon, is fast turning into a crime hub, and police say criminals are making good their escape through multiple entry/exit points to New Delhi.
The Ansals-promoted Palam Vihar to the south of Delhi has become an easy target for robbers who slip through numerous entry/exit points, including National Highway-8, after lifting luxury cars and robbing people, police said. Police have been unable to crack a single case in the past three months.
The latest in a series of incidents took place July 19. A group of armed youths in a black SUV Scorpio allegedly intercepted a Ford Endeavor at a railway crossing and snatched Rs.500,000 from the person in the vehicle, according to police.
The victim is the owner of a travel agency attached to a number of MNCs, including BPOs. The robbers also unsuccessfully tried to snatch his car.
A day earlier, armed robbers had snatched the Toyota Innova of a Kenya-based NRI at gunpoint outside Chancellor Club in Palam Vihar.
On July 9, a group of 6-7 motorcycle-borne youths snatched the WagonR car at the service of a BPO centre from its driver at Sector Road near Palam Vihar.
Ironically, not a single crime case has been solved in the past two-three months instilling a sense of fear among residents in the colony.
“The robbers continue to be on the prowl and target people in Palam Vihar and the surrounding sectors,” said Anuradha Balakrishnan, a resident.
“Incidents of cash and car-snatching are on the rise. I do not drive down my car to the nearby Bayopar Kendra without my family member or domestic help just for fear of being targeted by criminals,” Balakrishnan said.
Since Palam Vihar shares the border with New Delhi, robbers manage to escape easily, said Jitesh Malhotra, head of the Palam Vihar police station.
Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mohinder Lal has ordered the special crime branch cell to help Palam Vihar police officials investigate the robberies in the area.