The detention of five men staying in Shukhobrishti for alleged links to a deadly Patna shooting has swivelled the spotlight on the sprawling housing complex where two Punjab gangsters were killed in a dramatic police shootout four years ago.
The 150-acre complex in New Town, home to over 20,000 apartments, resembles a small township more than a traditional housing society. On Saturday, police questioned five residents from two separate flats — apartment 406 in Block M73 and apartment 206 in Block M70 — in connection with the July 17 murder of a paroled convict who was gunned down inside a private hospital in Patna.
This marks the second high-profile criminal case linked to Shukhobrishti in recent years. On June 9, 2021, Bengal police killed two wanted Punjab gangsters during a raid on Flat 201 of Block 153, less than a kilometre from Saturday’s detention site. When officers knocked on the door that afternoon, they were met with gunfire. In the ensuing shootout, police killed Jaipal Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi Kharar, both carrying bounties on their heads.
Residents’ fears
Saturday’s police action has left residents deeply unsettled. “I am scared, to say the least,” said Navneet Mishra, who lives in Block L-65, adjacent to where Saturday’s suspects were detained. “I have to travel for work and leave my family behind. If this place is a haven for criminals, we cannot stay here much longer.”
Security concerns centre largely on the absence of surveillance systems. A 72-year-old resident living on the same floor as three of the detained men said the lack of CCTV cameras was particularly alarming.
“Anyone can walk in just by writing their name in the visitors’ register,” he said. His neighbour in Flat 405 echoed the concern: “I shifted here two months ago. Since then, I have not seen any initiative to place CCTV cameras in our block. Some other blocks have CCTV surveillance.”
Life among suspects
For some residents, the detained men had seemed like ordinary neighbours. Vaibhav Barnwal, a 26-year-old program developer living in Block M73, said he had played cricket with some of the suspects.
“I played cricket with them a couple of times late in the evening. They usually played with a tennis ball behind our block,” Barnwal recalled. He noted that the group had recently brought home a Labrador puppy, often seen in the elevator during walks.
Neighbours said the detained men had been living in Shukhobrishti for less than a year. Police also confiscated a mobile phone belonging to a woman believed to be connected to the group, who was frequently seen with them in a white SUV.
“A woman often came to Flat 406. The last time I saw her was around 9pm on Thursday,” said one neighbour. Another complained about “loud music playing till late in the night” from the same apartment.
Multiple residents highlighted broader security weaknesses. With many apartments owned by absentee landlords and rented to tenants, background verification is minimal. The practice of tenants subletting space to friends and acquaintances further complicates monitoring.
“It is a common practice for tenants to invite friends over. This means anyone can just rent a flat and live here without any checks,” said a resident of Block K-37.