The vandalism within the gated community at Rajpur on Thursday night has instilled feelings of insecurity among the residents of the housing complex to such an extent that they have decided to increase the height of the campus’s boundary wall.
A mob of around 250 to 300 people stormed Deeshari Megacity, the residential complex in Rajpur-Sonarpur, and assaulted GST and customs officer on Thursday night following an altercation over a car crash between him and an auto driver.
Following the incident, the association has decided to step up security within the complex.
“We plan to raise the main gate’s height from six to eight feet, post one security guard for each block instead of one between two blocks, and install more CCTV cameras. We will also try to ensure that a police outpost is set near our main gate as the Sonarpur police station is quite far,” said Nitesh Bansal, secretary of the association.
On Sunday, the residents held a meeting among themselves to discuss the security measures they should take.
“They barged in and went straight to Pradeep Kumar’s flat, which is around 300 metres from the main gate. They pulled out the collapsible gate and entered his house and attacked him,” said Gora Bose, vice-president of the Megacity Association of Apartment Owners.
What left the residents more scared was the lack of response from the local police when they had called them for help.
“I called the cops around 10.15pm, but they said they were not available as both vans were on Kali Puja immersion duty. If the police refuse to protect us, then to whom should we approach in such cases?” said Bansal.
A 48-year-old resident who lives on the fourth floor of Tower 11, the same building where the attack took place, said the CCTV footage of the mob was “terrifying.”
“One of my friends called to ask if we were safe. When we checked the footage, it was shocking. Both my wife and I work, and our 16-year-old daughter often stays home with my elderly mother. What about their safety?” said the man, who works as a zonal manager with a pharmaceutical company.
Partha Dasgupta, 55, an IT professional and an association member, said they tried to reason with the crowd but failed.
“When I was informed that about 250 to 300 people were standing at the main gate, we rushed there and tried to stop them. But they didn’t listen and entered the complex,” he said.
The stretch on the southern fringe is lined with residential complexes, which are guarded by private security agencies.
