Hsg society had high security, say shocked residents

Pallavi Purkhayastha’s brutal murder on Thursday has left residents of Himalayan Heights housing society in Wadala shaken and scared.

Pallavi Purkhayastha’s brutal murder on Thursday has left residents of Himalayan Heights housing society in Wadala shaken and scared.

Scared because the society, which comprises three other buildings apart from Himalayan Heights, has a total of 21 security guards.

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Ashish Somaiya, who lives with his wife on the 15th floor of Himalayan Heights, a floor below the victim’s flat, said: “All domestic helps are registered and only after they get an identification card can they enter any of the buildings. A visitor has to register his or her name with the security guard to enter the building complex. It is shocking that despite all this, someone managed to enter the building, kill a resident and walk away without anyone spotting him.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said it could be an “inside job”, in which case the building security could do nothing.

The police, however, point out that though the building has CCTV cameras, none of them work.

“The CCTV camera at the main entrance of the society also does not work,” he added.

“Till around five months ago, when the builder owned the buildings, the main CCTV camera was working. But after the society was formed, the members did not attach much importance to CCTV cameras and no efforts were made to maintain it,” said one of the security guards, who did not wish to be named.