Pune: Armed with sharp weapons, 15 men riding triple seat on five motorcycles went on the rampage and vandalized six vehicles because some residents refused to acknowledge them as “bhais” (local goons) along the roads of Ganganagar in Phursungi near Hadapsar on the night of July 2.Six men of the gang were arrested and four minors detained on charges of rioting, dacoity and damaging property under the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.A similar vandalism of four autorickshaws was reported from Mundhwa on July 1, while 15 vehicles were damaged on July 3 during a fight between two groups of such goons for gaining supremacy.Such clashes and vandalism involving youths from in the fringe villages are becoming too frequent and also a major worry for the men in uniform. Hadapsar has emerged as one of the most sensitive police stations in the city with the highest number of crimes, followed by Wakad and Nigdi in 2017 (see graphics).“The crime graph has increased because of multiple reasons. Hadapsar is located on the outskirts of Pune city. Rapid urbanization at Manjari, Phursungi and Kalepadal has increased the number of people from the middle and lower middle class segments. Absence of adequate parking facilities in Hadapsar has forced people, who have migrated from Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Parbhani and Solapur to the city for jobs, to leave their vehicles on roads. As a result, vehicle theft cases in Hadapsar are highest compared to other police stations,” a police officer said.“Besides, body offences have increased because of petty disputes between groups comprising youths between 17 and 21 years. Abduction and sexual offences registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act have also increased. It’s a concern that the working parents have little control and virtually no time to keep a tab on their children’s activities,” he added.Hadapsar police senior inspector Vishnu Pawar, who was transferred to the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station during an internal reshuffle in the department, said, “The jurisdiction of the Hadapsar police station is three-time bigger than other police stations. It has to look after a population of over 12 lakh people. Several people have shifted to Hadapsar for jobs and are living in slums. It’s often found that their children are involved in crimes for petty reasons.”He added, “We have initiated a proposal to bifurcate the limits of the Hadapsar police. A new police station, Kalepadal, can be created. It will look after areas such as Kalepadal, Bhekrainagar, Papade Vasti, Mohammadwadi, Undri and Pisoli. The proposal is pending with the state government. Another police station can be started at Manjari.”

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