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‘Soft crimes’ on rise in twin cities: CP

BHUBANESWAR: Next time a sales boy or girl reaches your doorstep then deal with them carefully. You don’t know they could be preparing ground for motorcycle theft, chain snatching or larceny of cell phones.

The police commissionerate calls these crimes as ‘soft crimes’ which are rife in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Many educated teens are increasingly seen involved in such crime.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday Commissioner of Police Bijay Sharma said city police had recovered eight bikes and got identification of the seven accused.

Ironically most of the accused were in the age group of 19 to 22. A two-member gang comprising one Pravat Panda (21) from Jagatsinghpur and Rakesh Rout (19) from Kendrapara were selling encyclopaedia by hopping from one house to another. During their door-to-door selling, they used to identify soft targets for lifting two-wheelers. While Pravat was student of city-based Biju Patnaik College, Rakesh had studied in the prestigious Sainik School. Of the eight bikes, three were returned to owners.

Mr. Sharma also said the thieves had ‘improved’ their modus operandi in disposing of stolen bikes. After lifting motorcycles, the gangs used to park those at different parking areas and watch as to how police were reacting to the crime, he said.

When they felt that everything was settled down, the gang members sold even brand new motorcycles between Rs. 8000 and Rs. 10,000, Mr. Sharma said.

“Recovery of bikes has become an uphill task for police. In most cases, the miscreants dismantle the two-wheelers soon after committing the crime. As people enjoy having insurance on bikes, they don’t even bother to follow up. Of late Bhubaneswar has become an easy target,” he said.

Henceforth police would ask parking space operators to keep a list of motorcycles, which would be parked for more than two to three days.

The Commissioner announced that the commissionerate would come up with a notification to dispose all vehicles piled up at different police stations. “More than 500 such vehicles could be found inside the boundary of 34 police stations in the commissionerate jurisdiction,” he said. If confiscated vehicles would have no takers, then those would be auctioned, he said

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