In Vasai West, Stella Aatank unleashes reign of terror

As he headed to an acquaintancersquos home on his bike on March 26 a gang tried to mug banking executive Shashank Shenderkar in his own neighbourhood in Vasai West They chased him even after he escaped to a bungalow in the vicinity Shenderkar 37 was saved only after a woman househelp confronted the goons Locals said the gang Stella Aatank has unleashed terror in the areaActive on VasaiChulna Road the thugs who are usually high on drugs have become a huge nuisance for citizens Families are too scared to step out after dark Poor lighting on the road only helps the gang they saidThe Manikpur police arrested two of Shenderkarrsquos attackers though the complainant and his neighbours feel the cops should have added charges for dacoity in FIR The locals have now started a signature campaign to press the authorities to end the reign of Stella AatankA grab from CCTV footage shows one of the gang members with a tile right In this grab househelp Katela confronts an aggressive gang memberPolice said one of the members of Stella Aatank was arrested for motorcycle theft while the residents of the area claim the gang members also snatch mobile phones dismantle the devices and sell the partsHorror unfolds for bankerldquoI was on my motorcycle and going to meet someone in the neighbourhood Four young boys stopped me and started demanding money When I objected they first attacked me while one of them tried to snatch my cellphone and snatch moneyrdquo Shenderkar told middayldquoIn a few minutes three more youth joined this gang and they started abusing me All of them caught my collar and pushed me against the boundary wall of a bungalow before punching me in the stomach I somehow managed to flee myself and screamed for help The neighbours stepped out and they tried to scare these hooligans but the latter all high on drugs started pelting stonesrdquo he addedThe locals have started a signature drive to press authorities to take action PicsHanif PatelShenderkar took shelter in a nearby bungalow but they jumped over the gate and tried to assault him again ldquoBut a housemaid Ranjana Katela confronted them and scared them away One of the hooligans picked up a heavy tile and threatened to smash her face but she remained undeterred Katela saved merdquo he addedIrsquom now scared house helpRecalling the incident Katela said ldquoWe all heard a commotion When I peeped out I saw a group of boys assaulting a man who lives in the neighbourhood I alerted everyone at home to rescue the lone man Had I not intervened they might have killed him I come here in the morning to work and return home late evening Now I am also scared to come to this area alone I am a housemaid and they will now target merdquo said Katela who lives in a tribal hamlet nearbySupriya Sathe whose house Shenderkar was heading to when the incident took place said the gang members consume drugs and alcohol in an open field ldquoBeing a female I am scared to go out alone I am worried for my daughter who often has to go alone to college and the area is completely deserted with no street lamps There is thick bush all around the field where the gang often brings in girls and sit till late in the night after switching on their mobile torches The whole night they create noise they screamhellip rdquo said Sathe 42 adding ldquoWe all are reeling under fearhellipI am worried for the safety of my collegegoing daughterrdquoFelix Rodrigues a senior citizen said ldquoWe have informed police many times but no concrete step has been taken After this incident I have made a complaint and taking the signatures of all the local residents I am sending this application to senior police officers home minister and other heavyweights to get rid of this nuisancerdquoldquoI have been living here for decades but we started to face this problem in the last two years Most of the youth take drugs and alcohol in the open field One can see the paper used to roll weed empty beer bottles and cigarette butts in the field which is five minutes walk from hererdquo said Rodrigues a retired administration officer from Nehru Science Centre Worli