Crime Check
Residents, especially girls and women, fear going out alone. They want strict measures to be taken to deter the serial acid attacker
Shraddha Maheshwari
Fear pervades the streets of Brahmpuri and Gautampuri. Even a month after the first acid attack, the culprit has not been caught. Half a dozen more innocent girls have become his victims after the initial attack. Though the police this week caught a 25-year-old young man alleged to have thrown acid in Kalyanpuri, they seem to be clueless about the one prowling in the streets of Brahmpuri and Gautampuri. They recently released a sketch based on information provided by witnesses. They have also asked the public to be on the alert and help in tracking the serial acid attacker.
Karim Siddiqui, a resident of Brahmpuri, says: "The acid attacks have instilled a sense of fear in the people. They don’t let their children, especially daughters, go out alone. They drop them at school in the mornings and pick them up in the afternoons. The culprit mostly attacks from behind in the mornings and evenings." But the lanes being so narrow, how does he get a chance to escape? "He mostly attacks people at intersections so that he can make good his escape."
Begum Bano, another resident of the area, says: "Actually there are only two or three streetlights in the area. The darkness makes it easy for the culprit to conduct his dastardly act and escape. There is a need for police presence in the area which is at present minimal."
Residents of the area complain that criminal activities are on the rise. They are disappointed with the efforts of the police. Says a resident: "We are living in a state of terror for the past one month. Several media people have visited us and highlighted our problem but nothing much has been done till now.
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