Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Slums and abandoned quarters in areas under Zone-2 here, serving as safe hide-outs for criminals from other cities and even states, have become a problem for law-enforcing agencies. Police have busted some gangs of burglars and cracked theft cases which indicated that criminals from outside committed crimes in the city and then fled to other places.

Police officials said that the large number of slums and absence of any proper database of their residents made it difficult to identify criminal elements living there. However, drives were frequently launched for tenant and employee verification, which helped in preparing a database of people coming from other places, they added.

A police official said that there was a large number of dilapidated and abandoned quarters here, owned by the BHEL. People from outside were living in these quarters and police had no record of them. Moreover, people living in slums often changed their location and so their details were not available.

A week ago, the Bag Sewania police arrested one Dilip Bhuria of Jhabua district who committed multiple thefts in Bhopal with help of his two aides. Dilip was arrested from Surat where he used to work. However, he came to Bhopal and took shelter with his friends in Kamla Nagar slums.

On February 2, the Kamla Nagar police arrested Niyaz Khan of Bengaluru and his two aides. Niyaz often came to Bhopal and fled after committing thefts. The Awadhpuri police nabbed one Bhagwat Acharya of Khandwa with stolen bikes on January 21.

Acharya lived in Awadhpuri and did odd jobs. On Jan 10, the Koh-e-Fiza police arrested four women from south India for committing thefts and snatchings. The women claimed that they were residents of Delhi. On January 1, the Ayodhya Nagar police busted a gang of vehicle lifters, which included people from Raisen, Vidisha and Sagar.

All were living in different areas of Bhopal and used to flee after stealing bikes. Additional DCP Zone-2 Mahaveer Singh Mujalde said police had no database of people living in the large number of slums and abandoned quarters in Bag Sewania, Katara Hills, Govindpura, Misrod, Piplani and other adjoining areas. However, regular patrolling was done in these areas to keep a watch on suspects. Drives were also being launched for tenant and employee verification, he added.