House break-ins, thefts everyday affairs in Bandra: Residents

On New Year’s eve, a 30-year-old man broke into the residence of British Petroleum’s India head in Bandra and stole valuables worth ₹50 lakh

MUMBAI: On New Year’s eve, a 30-year-old man broke into the residence of British Petroleum’s India head in Bandra and stole valuables worth ₹50 lakh, including luxury watches and a gift from industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The same night, an unidentified robber broke into a law firm’s office on St Martin’s Road and robbed an air-conditioner.

House break-ins and thefts in Bandra have come into sharp focus following Thursday’s foiled burglary attempt at actor Saif Ali Khan’s apartment.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

On December 29, businessman Ashish Gandhi’s imported bicycle was robbed in broad daylight from Linking Road while he was buying a pair of glasses.

Earlier, on December 4, robbers broke into the storeroom of the General Arunkumar Vaidya club near MET College and stole 10 LED lights worth ₹16,000.

These and other house break-ins and thefts in Bandra have come into sharp focus following Thursday’s foiled burglary attempt at actor Saif Ali Khan’s apartment.

“Bandra is plagued by drug addicts who will rob anything to fund their addiction,” an irate Bandra resident told Hindustan Times, echoing several other locals who complained about the lapse of law and order in the queen of the suburbs.

According to the police, at least four first information reports (FIRs) pertaining to break-ins and robberies and another eight FIRs pertaining to mobile and vehicle thefts were registered in Bandra in the month of December 2024 alone.

Bandra residents told HT robbers have even camped off with electronic items when they failed to find cash or other valuables after breaking into shops and storerooms.

“The cops are busy with reactive policing instead of being proactive,” said Karan D’lima, who lives near Mehboob Studio in Bandra West. “Every week, I come across numerous CCTV grabs on WhatsApp groups of robbers breaking into houses or buildings. Nothing is done about these cases unless FIRs are lodged,” he noted.

Other residents said robbers even scale boundary walls and steal articles from gated societies.

“Hopping over boundary walls for robbers is easy, as is escaping into slums after thefts,” said another resident, requesting anonymity.