Police nab five in 24 hrs as Guwahati grapples with spike in thievery, dacoity

Guwahati, Nov 20: Incidents of thievery and dacoity are keeping Guwahati residents on the edge, with such crimes reaching alarming levels in recent times even as recent police data indicates that the overall crime rate in these categories has either remained consistent or even declined compared to previous years.

In the past 24 hours, city police have apprehended five individuals in separate incidents across three locations - Rajgarh, Ganeshguri, and Ulubari.

In Rajgarh, a Central Guwahati Police District (CGPD) team from Chandmari arrested a notorious snatcher on Wednesday.

The accused identified as Bhaskar Kalita, 26, of Kampur, had been terrorising the area, evading capture and keeping law enforcement on their toes.

Kalita, who works as an app-based delivery driver, was arrested for snatching gold ornaments from a resident of Rajgarh’s Bylane 12 at knifepoint. The dagger and scooter used during the crime were seized from his possession.

Another individual was arrested by the CGPD team for committing a similar crime in Pub Sarania. Arjun Malakar, a resident of Umrongso in Dima Hasao, was wanted in a case of mobile snatching in Pub Sarania. Like Kalita, Malakar is also an app-based delivery driver.

In Ulubari, locals caught a thief red-handed on Wednesday while he was attempting to steal an air conditioner.

Equipped with tools to cut through rods and grills, the thief was caught in the act of disconnecting an AC pipe. Upon questioning, he confessed to his crimes, attributing his actions to drug addiction. Police have taken him into custody and launched an investigation.

In Ganeshguri, police arrested two women for looting cash worth Rs 40,000 and valuables, including an ATM card, from an individual.

The accused allegedly coerced the victim through blackmail and threats. An investigation is underway, with suspicion of a larger gang operating in the area. Meanwhile, a third suspect remains at large.

Earlier, on November 12, the Guwahati Commissionerate of Police revealed that 1,742 theft-related cases were reported in the city from January to October 2024, marking a "significant decrease" from the 2,308 cases reported during the same period in 2023 and 2,347 in 2022.

In light of the data, the Commissionerate also cautioned media outlets against publishing misinformation and urged them to refer to official crime records.