Residents of at least five houses in Mandavelipakkam have reported the past week that comoon water taps have been stolen.
Also, people in two apartments have reported that iron covers for their sumps have been stolen.
The petty crimes have been reported to the local police and that residents have not received any calls from the police nor have they visited the spots and probed the matter.
“If these thieves are not arrested then they will be emboldened to commit more serious crimes,” said a senior citizen of this area who wished to remain anonymous.
Residents shared proof from their CCTV recordings of young men who slip into bungalows and apartments, look for the common taps and unscrew them – all done in less than 5 minutes – and walk away as if they were workmen or delivery boys.
In one camera grab, three men casually walk down a street, two slip into a bungalow and come out with a small bag in the hands.
One resident said that costly taps were stolen and a tank-full of water was wasted at dead of night.
