In a late-night incident, residents of Batla House were left shaken after a youth allegedly slipped into a home through an open ventilator window and fled with a laptop bag and costly items, including PAN card, mobile phone and others. The 3.30 am incident in a flat in Batla House main market has made residents uneasy.
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A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the OT that the family was fast asleep when the intruder slipped in and vanished into the narrow lanes with the laptop bag. The theft came to light only the next morning.
He said such incidents have left residents living in constant fear. “Just think if your belongings are not even safe inside your own house, then where are they safe? The person sleeping in the balcony room had left one window open for ventilation and paid dearly for it. It seems the thief climbed onto the first-floor flat, saw the open room, quietly stepped in, picked up the laptop bag and other items, and left,” he said.
The resident said he has lodged a police complaint, and officers are looking into the matter. He said CCTV footage from the Batla House market area captured the thief, though the face is not clearly visible.
Following the incident, residents have been urged to secure their windows at night and remain vigilant.
Wasim Khan, office-bearer of the Batla House Market Association, who regularly raises awareness about thefts in the area through videos on his social media platforms, stressed the need for greater caution. “People must be more careful, whether at home or in the marketplace,” he said.
Residents expressed concern over cases of petty thefts and burglaries in the locality, particularly during late-night hours. Just a few days ago, Wasim had shared a video showing how alert shoppers caught a woman attempting to steal from another shopper’s bag in broad daylight.
He said, unfortunately, a gang of women thieves remains active in the area, often roaming the marketplace with their faces covered to avoid detection. The Batla House Market Association has taken several steps in association with the local police to curb such incidents, but complete success has so far eluded them. However, he noted that awareness campaigns have made a visible impact. Reported cases have sharply declined as not only shopkeepers but also visitors to Batla House now stay alert and watch over their shoulders.
Another resident said cases of pick-pocketing skyrocket during the festive season, when large crowds flock to the Batla House market for shopping.
