Click to play videoMumbai: With sprawling malls, fancy apartment complexes, and steadily climbing property prices, Khargar is one of the fastest developing real estate hubs of Navi Mumbai.
But this real estate heaven does not even have a single police station. With the nearest one in Kalamboli, the suburb faces a grave concern of inadequate security measures.
Worryingly, while Mumbai has a 50,000-personnel-strong police force, Navi Mumbai has only 2,700 policemen to guard an area three-fourth the size of Mumbai.
It may be reminded that the cars used in July 2008’s Ahmedabad blasts were stolen from Navi Mumbai. The Indian Mujahideen terror e-mail, which was sent minutes before the blasts, too, originated from Navi Mumbai.
“This place has become a hub for unsafe activities,” P V Sriram, a Navi Mumbai resident, says.
At least seven alleged conspirators in terror plots have been traced back to the northern Mumbai suburb of Mira Road, with the latest being Tauqeer Qureshi — the alleged mastermind behind the Delhi and the Ahmedabad blasts.
The most recent Indian Mujahideen e-mail sent minutes before the Delhi blasts is believed to have originated from Chembur, another outer suburb of Mumbai.
Given the growing threat of terror, the police are now welcoming the idea of citizen policing.
“As long as these people do not become vigilantes, it’s good,” ADG (Law and Order), Maharashtra, Sanjeev Dayal, says.
However, the traditional mistrust of the police makes it difficult to earn the confidence of the people.
“The police need to build trust and confidence of these communities. This has nothing to do with the number of policemen,” says former Mumbai Police Commissioner, Julio Ribeiro.
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