Gated Societies in Noida–Ghaziabad Becoming Safe Havens for Stolen Vehicles, Authorities Launch Crackdown
NOIDA: Gated communities, known for their security systems, are increasingly being misused as parking shelters for stolen vehicles across Noida and Ghaziabad, raising serious concerns for residents and police alike.
The issue resurfaced last month at T&T Homes in Sidharth Vihar, when residents noticed a Honda Jazz parked without a valid sticker. After security guards failed to trace the owner, they eventually found a Delhi resident named Vijay, who confirmed the car had been stolen from the capital. CCTV later showed a group of unidentified men sneaking the vehicle into the complex, parking it in a secluded spot, and calmly exiting after changing clothes in the lift.
Police officials said this was part of a larger pattern, with numerous stolen vehicles from Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, and even Lucknow found abandoned for long periods in the parking lots of high-rise societies. Several of these vehicles were later linked to robberies or chain-snatching incidents, often discovered only when a resident raised suspicion.
A senior officer explained why the problem persists:
“Large residential towers have hundreds of flats and constant movement. It’s easy for criminals to slip in, place a sticker on a stolen car, and leave it there for months without detection.”
Authorities say poor record-keeping, outdated entry databases, and inadequate tenant verification are helping criminals exploit gated societies.
Rajiv Kumar, president of an Indirapuram RWA, admitted:
“With over a thousand flats, keeping vehicle records updated becomes a challenge. In many cases, no one knows which car belongs to which resident.”
Apps like MyGate and NoBrokerHood are widely used, but RWAs often fail to remove old vehicle entries or cancel stickers after a car is sold. Bhupendra Nath, AOA member at SG Grand in Raj Nagar Extension, said:
“Cars sold months ago still have access to societies because stickers were never cancelled. Incomplete tenant verification makes the issue worse.”
The threat isn’t just theoretical. In one case, burglars used a car abandoned in a society basement for over three months as a getaway vehicle after committing a robbery.
Police Intensify Action Across Noida & Ghaziabad
Noida ADCP Shavya Goyal said all local police stations have been instructed to identify abandoned vehicles and verify their ownership through transport and crime databases. Suspicious vehicles will be seized if owners cannot be traced.
Special joint teams—comprising beat police, traffic officials, and RWA members—will conduct building-to-building inspections to catalogue parking records and flag irregularities. The drive will begin in central Noida, followed by Greater Noida West, industrial hubs, and the Yamuna Expressway belt.
Police will also issue public advisories, urging residents to report unusual or long-abandoned vehicles.
Societies Tighten Protocols
Some societies have already upgraded security checks.
Surojit Dasgupta, general secretary of Exotica Fresco AOA, said:
“Residents must inform security about guest vehicles beforehand. Night guards inspect the parking areas for cars without stickers and match them with visitor records. Any mismatch is immediately escalated.”
Officials stress that the campaign’s success depends on cooperation from RWAs.
“The objective isn’t to penalise residents but to keep neighbourhoods safe,” a senior officer said.
Residents have also been requested not to leave their vehicles unused for months, as these become targets for theft or raise unnecessary suspicion.
Weekly Reports to Commissioner’s Office
Progress updates will be submitted each week, with ACP-rank officers supervising the operation. Police have also proposed a centralized digital platform that integrates society parking databases to track vehicles with unclear ownership.
One officer summed up the mission:
“A vehicle that hasn’t moved in months could be a missing link in a criminal chain. Our goal is to ensure no society in Noida or Ghaziabad turns into a hiding place for stolen vehicles.”
