Residents of Villa Orchids in Bollarum and other protesters gathered outside the Malkajgiri police commissioner’s camp office in Begumpet on Monday, demanding justice after the alleged abduction and murder of a five-year-old girl by a former security guard.
The protesters entered the conference hall before Malkajgiri police commissioner B Sumathi’s press meet and raised slogans while holding placards that read “She deserved to live” and “No mercy for cruelty”. The victim’s parents were also waiting to meet the commissioner, seeking assurances and clarification from the police.
The alleged accused, identified by the police as Vikram Kumar, was a former security guard at the gated community. Residents questioned how he was able to enter the premises after his employment had ended. They also sought action against another security guard whose SIM card was allegedly used by Vikram to call the girl’s family for ransom.
A resident questioned how the guard on duty allowed Vikram to enter the community despite knowing that he had been terminated by the security agency. The resident also asked whether the other guard should be held accountable for the alleged use of his SIM card.
Police said Vikram gained entry by telling the guard on duty that he had been hired to help organise the Bathukamma festival at the clubhouse. According to the police, Vikram had worked at the community until a few days earlier, and the security guards, including the accused, shared accommodation in a room outside the gated premises.
The incident has raised concern among residents of gated communities, where entry gates, visitor registers and private security personnel are relied upon to control access. Sumathi said the case showed that access-control systems and the presence of security personnel alone could not assure safety.
The commissioner said gated communities needed to maintain records of people entering and leaving their premises and carry out background verification and re-verification of workers employed there. The police also said the security agency had earlier uploaded Vikram’s details as part of the routine process under the Mee Suraksha initiative.
According to the report, Malkajgiri has 4.21 lakh residential clusters. The commissioner assured protesters that firm action was being taken and that the accused would be punished. Police officials are expected to continue the investigation and address residents’ concerns over access procedures and security checks.
