Noida: Residents of sectors 50 and 51 are spending sleepless nights due to the rise in thefts over the past 20 days. They claimed there have been more than half a dozen thefts, including those in highrises.Two flats were looted in Crescent Apartment in Sector 50, and two or three apartments were burgled in neighbouring Kendriya Vihar in Sector 51. A motorcycle was stolen about two weeks ago from F Block in Sector 50. In the latest incident, a pan shop was looted on Tuesday.The men burgled Shankar’s shop at 2am. They broke the locks on the shutter and stole items worth nearly 1.7 lakh. “I had stocked my shop on Monday. They took everything,” he told TOI. “They took the DVR of the CCTV recording as well.” Eyewitnesses said they saw several men running away from the shop.A video recorded on a CCTV camera at the Sector 51 flat has been accessed by TOI. Three masked men can be seen in the video. They had full-sleeved shirts and gloves. They can be seen tiptoeing to the flats and using lock cutters and other equipment to break into the flats. Residents alleged they stole cash and jewellery from there.They filed police complaints in all the cases, but the investigation, they claimed, did not move forward. They have now written to Gautam Buddh Nagar police commissioner Laxmi Singh and the area station house officer, seeking more patrolling and better law and order.In the letter, founder and former president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association Rajiva Singh wrote, “It’s not just about the thefts; it’s about peace of mind. A series of thefts, burglaries, and street crimes have created an atmosphere of fear and distress among residents.” He has demanded stronger policing in the area.He added that there is little to no regular police patrolling or PCR movement at night. Moreover, there is a severe lack of timely follow-up or progress on reports filed regarding these crimes.RWA general secretary of Sector 51 Sanjeev Kumar said there had been an increase in antisocial activities in the sector earlier. “Despite complaints and demands for increased patrolling, these incidents haven’t dropped,” he said.The letter from residents further outlines a series of recommendations, including the installation of additional streetlights, increased surveillance, and community watch programmes to deter potential criminals. Residents have expressed a willingness to engage with law enforcement to explore innovative solutions to combat this rising trend of theft.Singh also met the area SHO Ram Prasad Sharma and demanded increased patrolling. “A PCR van will be deployed near the Kendriya Vihar roundabout,” Sharma said. Singh informed him of the vulnerable points of F Block in Sector 50 and requested him to organise a meeting with society representatives and residents of the sector.
