Constable stabbed by criminal in the area on Wednesday; scared residents are leaving the area, which was the stronghold of slain gangster Ashok Joshi in the late 80s

Kanjur Marg, once a stronghold of slain gangster Ashok Joshi, is sliding back into its dark past, fear police.

Residents say they are afraid of stepping out of their homes at night owing to the presence of criminal elements.u00a0

And yesterday's stabbing of a constable trying to arrest a hardened criminal has only lent credence to their fears.

ACP Vilas Marathe of the Kanjur Marg police said that constable Kailash Patil (36) was attacked when he accosted two criminals near CGS Colony in the area on Wednesday.

He tried to nab one of the criminals when he was stabbed with a rampuri. While the criminals fled, Patil was taken to Ankur Hospital where he is recovering from multiple injuries.

"We have registered an attempt-to-murder case against an unknown person. Patil is out of danger," said Marathe.

Tip of the iceberg

At least 10 families (names withheld) have shifted residence from Kanjur Marg to safer neighbourhoods because of increased criminal activity.

Buildings like Anurag, Satyam, Everest and Golden Place, located in the heart of Kanjur Marg, are the worst affected.

A resident from the area, who did not wish to be named, said it is dangerous to be out of the house after 8 pm. Many criminals hangout in stationary auto rickshaws in the area and pass lewd comments at women.

She said a large number of criminals frequent carrom clubs and gambling dens in the area which remain open till the wee hours of the morning and the neighbourhood reeks of alcohol and drugs.

"Liquor bottles are strewn on the road every morning. These criminals drink on the road and pass lewd comments whenever they see a woman passing by," she added.

Crime den
Kanjur Marg had earned the reputation of being a den for criminals in the late 80s when gangster Ashok Joshi was active in the area. A total of 20 killings were reported in less than two years before Joshi was gunned down in a shootout near Panvel on December 3, 1988. However, a large number of his associates stayed active and worked with the Arun Gawli gang in Byculla. Now, small-time goons are regrouping to get a share of the underworld income in north Mumbai.