Compared to last year, Kolkata cops successful in bringing down vehicle thefts

Kolkata: In a major development, the Kolkata Police has successfully brought down the total number of cases of motor vehicle theft and two-wheeler lifting before and ahead of Durga Puja in 2017 compared to that of the previous year.

The rate of motorbike theft and lifting of cars usually goes up ahead of Durga Puja every year. According to police officers posted in the Detective Department of the Kolkata Police, people involved in such rackets also need more money during the Puja like everyone. So these activities also go up and more people pour into police stations lodging complaints alleging theft of cars and two-wheelers.

Interestingly, the number of such complaints in the city has gone down comparatively this year. Vishal Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said: "We are trying our level best and the number of cases of motor theft has come down compared to that of the previous year."

The city police have made the impossible task of bringing down the cases of motor theft possible by increasing vigils with policemen being posted at vulnerable locations from where most vehicles were stolen in the past.

Besides carrying out the regular work, the anti-motor theft squad of the Kolkata Police's Detective Department had taken precautionary measures a couple of months ahead of Durga Puja.

During the Puja days, people are often leave their two-wheelers on the side of roads to go to the nearest Puja mandap. The members of two-wheeler theft rackets take this opportunity and steal the vehicles away.

Such cases also take place when people leave their cars or two-wheelers when they go for Puja marketing. During heavy rush on the city streets, it is a common tendency of a section of people to park their cars or motorbikes in narrow lanes, where it doesn't obstruct the plying of other vehicles, while shopping at Shyambazar, Hatibagan or Gariahat. Since there is no one to look after the vehicles in such places, it becomes easier for members of the gangs to take it away by breaking its locks. This time the police were vigilant and it made the task of the gang members tougher even in such places. As a result, the number of cases has also gone down. Moreover, there were convictions as well in such cases and it also played a crucial role in bringing down the cases of car lifting and two-wheeler theft.