Pune: Several fear-stricken citizens have curbed their passion for morning walk or sporting jewelleries following brazen crimes in the city of late.

They have altered their close-to-heart habits unwillingly to avoid becoming victims of a robbery or a chain-snatching. Some have switched to daytime stroll from early morning walk. A few have unfastened their gold chains and kept them in lockers for safety.

The people living in Pune for years are simply shocked. The brazenness of crimes being reported from not only developing areas like Kondhwa and Lullanagar, but also from the heart of the city have sent chill down their spine.

Meet Kanchan Anvekar. She has changed her morning walk routine to avoid stepping out in the dark. An early morning climber of the Parvati hill till a few days back, she now steps out in the evening.

"Crime has increased a lot and now I prefer to take a walk in the evening, when there are more people around. One doesn't feel safe even in the afternoon because unknown people roam around. When I step out in the evening, I remain anxious till the time I see my group of friends. I have even stopped wearing heavy and expensive gold jewelleries," she said.

Across the city, Saroj Patwardhan of Baner Pashan Link Road said the reports in newspaper give her the jitters. Explaining how her life has been altered, the senior citizen said, "I feel very scared after reading about the crimes happening in the city. Thankfully, I have not been at the receiving end so far, but I know people who have been victims. After hearing their stories, my husband and I no longer feel safe going out for a walk. We prefer to drive all the way to a nearby club to walk within an enclosed property."

She did question the quality of policing. But the degenerating social fabric of the city was her bigger worry.

"In a civilized society, we should not need too much of the police. But it's also a fact that we hardly see any policing around. Another fear I have is about being left helpless on the road, should anything ever happen. These days, it's rare to see citizens stop to help others on road."

A middle-aged resident of Sahakarnagar has developed a fear about travelling alone at night. "I have lived in Pune all my life but never had second thoughts about commuting after dark. But after reading about so many daring crimes, for the first time I tried to dissuade my son from driving home alone last week. Finishing his work at a research laboratory in Pashan, he started for home after midnight on a two-wheeler. I was tense during his entire journey. His journey was uneventful, but one cannot be casual about safety on roads of Pune now-a-days."

Tanvi Deshpande, a resident of NIBM Road, thinks twice about travelling alone in upcoming areas like Undri. "I feel scared riding alone through developing areas or where a lot of construction activities are going on. During the evening, I feel safer in a group. Sometimes I wish I could be in a car than on a two-wheeler," she said.

Crimes becoming common on highways and outskirts, some cab companies have issued strict guidelines to their drivers for safety. Arun Kharat, the founding director of Wings Radio Cabs, said, "We keep hearing about stray incidents of cab and taxi drivers being attacked or robbed, especially in developing areas like NIBM Road or Kondhwa and even on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass. We have issued clear instructions to all our drivers to never offer lift to strangers on their route. All pick-up requests go to them through our call centre and they have been advised not to stop anywhere on the road unnecessarily."

CHANGES IN LIFE

Bye-bye to morning walk

Many people have stopped walking in morning out of fear

They now go for strolls in evening, in groups

Ornaments in jewellery box

Several women no more sport jewelleries while venturing out

They have sent them to lockers

SAFTY TIPS

Don'ts

Step out in the dark - both morning and evening

Visit dark and unknown pockets, especially after dusk

Wear expensive jewellery when stepping out alone

Dos

Walk with a companion or in a group

Keep family and/or friends informed about your whereabouts

Update them before starting to commute and tell them the expected travel time, especially after dark

Keep handy emergency safety tricks like pepper spray or walking sticks (for elderly)

Note down number of cab/ autorickshaw before starting journey

Talk on phone when in a cab/ auto-rickshaw to let driver know

Be on the lookout for stalking strangers, criminals performing recce

