13 March,2011 06:52 AM IST | | Rinkita Gurav
Causeway never sleeps, nor do its thieves, who have robbed more than 16 shops, all at a stone's throw from Colaba police station. But March 5's theft at Adamis, which shares the compound wall with the ACP's office, has left locals stunned. Twenty one thefts in three months is 'low' figure, says Senior PI
Tired of the number of burglaries along Colaba Causeway, one of South Mumbai's most bustling shopping districts, owners of 24 commercial establishments have written a letter to Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik on March 11, 2011, asking for immediate action.
Illustration/Jishu
The letter, a copy of which is with Sunday MiD DAY, expresses shock and concern that most burglaries have occurred right next to the Colaba Police Station. It offers the March 5 theft at Adamis, a clothes and accessories showroom, as a prime instance of police callousness.
On March 5, at 5 am, a thief broke a window of the Noor Baug trust's office in the first floor of Rehem Mansion. He broke through four doors, including the backdoor of the showroom, to enter Adamis, and stole a laptop and two digital cameras. What has left shop owners stunned is that the burglary occurred in a building that shares a compound wall with the police station.
Adamis owner and one of the signatories of the letter Malik Chamdawala said, "Though there is a police station on the same road, and the police keep patrolling Colaba, which is a high security area since the Taj hotel attacks, there is a break-in every three to four months."
In the past two years, 16 establishments have been robbed, three of which are adjacent to the station. The United Colors of Benetton showroom was robbed in November 2008 and March 2009. In July 2009, thieves broke into Amber Arts, Crafts and Jewels Emporium and stole cash, jewellery and precious stones.
Amber owner Mahesh Bhatija said, "We stand right beside the police station and the ACP's office. The thieves broke in last year through the AC shaft. There would have been some noise, but the police claim they heard nothing."
Bharat Waghela owns a chemist and Xerox shop in Nawroji Furdunji Street, which flanks Leopold Caf ufffd and is right across the police station. Both his establishments were robbed of a total of Rs 20,000 last year.
Waghela is surprised that these robberies occurred in an area that is always busy.
"We are located in a bylane beside Leopold Caf ufffd which closes at 1.30 am. Bade Miya is open till 3.30 am and after 4 am, the lane is filled with Taj Hotel staff rushing to catch a train back home. With the street always full of people and a police station right in front, I don't understand how the thieves broke in."
Besides Waghela's shops, five other shops located in the same lane, including Michelle Boutique and Indian Emporium have also been robbed. None of the theft cases have been solved till now.
Senior Inspector of Colaba Police Station, Vinod Sawant said, "I was transferred two months ago, so I need to look into the cases. We are investigating the Adamis break-in. There have been only 21 cases in the past three months. Compared to other areas it is very low. We are yet to find if these are local gangs."
Amber arts, crafts, jewels emporium
Robbed on July, 2009
Stolen: Cash and jewellery
United Colors of Benetton
Robbed on November 2008 & March 2009
Stolen: Clothes and cash
Adamis Rasul bhai Adamji
Robbed on
March 4, 2011
Stolen: 1 laptop, 2 digital cameras
