While 450 police personnel are combing south Mumbai, the heavy deployment has not calmed the fear unnerving the area’s residents.
MUMBAI: While 450 police personnel are combing south Mumbai to capture a serial killer thought to be responsible for at least seven murders, the heavy deployment has not calmed the fear unnerving the area’s residents.
The sense of dread has reoriented people’s association with Marine Drive and the Gateway of India — the famous south Mumbai hangouts. Fitness enthusiasts, who used to pour on to Marine Drive early in the morning, now await the security of sunrise. Those who took brisk walks at nights have either stopped strolling or prefer to venture out in groups.
Churchgate resident Suhasini Kakotkar (41) has been enjoying night walks on Marine Drive for the past 10 years. The agreeable experience is now weighed down by precautions. “I wait for my neighbours or my husband to accompany me for walks, or else I go out in the evening,” Kakotkar said.
Supriya Sule, MP and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, said the crimes in the region have affected the residents’ psyche. “It sounds silly, but the other day when I went for a morning walk at Mahalaxmi Race Course it was quite dark because of thick fog, and suddenly, at the back of my mind, there was fear lurking about the mysterious serial killer,” she said.
The police presence in the aftermath of the crimes has not impressed some residents because at least one murder took place not far from a police installation. “Recently, there was news of a man being killed at the Marine Drive flyover despite a police chowky being in the vicinity,” said Amit Kulkarni (29), a Marine Lines resident. “How do we believe it is safe to go out alone when it is dark?”
The enthusiasm generated by the Mumbai Marathon has, however, emboldened the participants to continue with their practice. “I began practice at Marine Drive only a month ago,” said Ajay Kashyap (26). “There’s no point being scared of the killer now. I can’t stop my practice just a week before the marathon.”
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