Platinum complex residents live in fear

Residents of Dwarka’s upscale Platinum Heights complex are living in fear these days after a man shot at his parents on Monday wee hours and fled brandishing a gun to the guards.

This incident happened just after a week of an armed robbery in which items worth several lakhs of rupees were robbed from three flats in the society.

After the latest incident, residents appeared scared.

“I am feeling insecure. We shifted from Palam because we thought we would get a safer environment here. But for the last year or so, things have worsened,” said Sanya, an entrepreneur.

Some put the blame on the Resident Welfare Association.

“Earlier, we used to go out of town for several days without any worry, but ever since the guards and the members of the association have changed, the atmosphere has also worsened here. Now, we don’t leave our home unattended for long. Guards don’t patrol regularly, they keep on sitting near the gate, which resulted in so many robberies here,” Sanya added.

Surrounded by a vast rural area, Platinum Heights shelters residents who belong to the upper strata of society, which attracts the criminal elements, said a police officer.

“Criminals get attracted towards prosperity. The proximity of the residential complex to the nearby rural belt further enhances its appeal for the criminal minds. And the increase of gun culture in society is also a factor in the increase of crime rate here,” the officer added.

Even the guards fear to take on the criminals as demonstrated on Monday morning when they allowed the culprit to get past the gate instead of trying to stop him.

Police are trying to find out if there is a common element behind the chain of crimes happened in the society in the last few months.