Synopsis
In Vadodara, a man was assaulted in a robbery attempt, leading to the swift arrest of two suspects by local police. The victim, Pradeep Munshi, sustained serious injuries during the attack. Authorities are investigating the suspects for previous criminal activity amidst rising theft cases in Gujarat.Key Takeaways
- Incident Location: Vadodara's Makarpura GIDC
- Victim: Pradeep Munshi, a private firm manager
- Attack Duration: Nearly half an hour
- Suspects Arrested: Rafiq and Arif
- Theft and Burglary Stats: 97,950 incidents from 2018 to 2023
Vadodara, Feb 22 (NationPress) A man was assaulted by two individuals in the Makarpura GIDC area of Gujarat's Vadodara, reportedly during an attempted robbery.
The victim, Pradeep Munshi, who works as a manager at a private firm, was ambushed by an auto-rickshaw driver and his accomplice, who struck him with wooden sticks.
Although the attackers fled the scene, police acted swiftly, apprehending both suspects and confiscating their auto-rickshaw, according to officials.
As reported, Munshi was present in the area when two unidentified men arrived in an auto-rickshaw. The incident transpired on February 21.
Unprovoked, they began to assault him, beating him repeatedly with sticks. The attack lasted nearly half an hour, during which Munshi cried for help, but no onlookers intervened. Eventually, the assailants escaped, leaving him injured on the street. Munshi suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Following his report, the Manjalpur police initiated an investigation and apprehended the suspects, Rafiq and Arif.
Authorities have also seized their auto-rickshaw and are investigating whether the duo has a criminal history.
In Gujarat, theft and burglary have been ongoing issues over the past five years. Between 2018 and 2023, the state recorded a total of 97,950 theft and burglary incidents.
Alarmingly, only 46,636 of these cases were solved, indicating a detection rate of around 50 percent. This means an average of 38 thefts and nine burglaries were reported daily during this timeframe.
The COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 saw a slight decline in these crimes, with approximately 10,000 incidents reported each year, likely due to increased home occupancy during lockdowns. However, numbers surged again post-pandemic, with 16,529 theft cases reported up to September 2023, of which only about half were resolved.
Temples in Gujarat have also been targeted, with 501 reported thefts over the past three years, resulting in losses totalling Rs 4.93 crore. The breakdown includes 151 incidents in 2020-21, 178 in 2021-22, and 172 in 2022-23.
Despite these challenges, certain areas have demonstrated improvement.
Vadodara City, for example, achieved an 87 percent detection rate in chain-snatching cases in 2024, the highest in the state. The city's Detection of Crime Branch recorded 296 offences in 2024, marking a 50 percent increase from the previous year.
