Srinagar, Jan 08 (KNO): At dawn in Srinagar’s Shivpora, the quiet was broken not by the call for prayers but by the sound of another car being stolen. The latest victim: the Imam of Jamia Masjid Purnibal.
Residents say it is the third such incident in as many months, and the growing boldness of car-lifters has left the community anxious and sleepless.
“If an Imam’s car parked near the mosque isn’t safe, what about the rest of us?” asked a local resident while speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
He added, “We hear sounds at night and are afraid to even look out. This has become routine now.”
According to locals, unidentified thieves succeeded in stealing the Imam’s vehicle during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
Earlier that morning, around 5:56 a.m., a CCTV footage accessed by KNO, captured a man approaching another parked vehicle in the area, opening its door, starting it and then leaving after spotting its handle lock.
“They come quietly, try several cars and move from lane to lane,” said a resident whose neighbour’s vehicle was targeted in a failed attempt the same morning. “It’s like they know our schedule, and they strike right before Fajr prayers.”
Three months ago, a car belonging to another resident was stolen near the Purnibal Shivpora ration depot and has not been recovered despite an FIR being lodged.
Residents said the spate of incidents is particularly worrying given that the CRPF’s 61 Battalion camp is located nearby. “Despite the heavy security presence, thieves are operating fearlessly. We expected the police to act swiftly, but the silence is worrying,” said another resident—(KNO)