Alleged potential anti-social hubs in and around the city have come under the police scanner following the recent incident in which a young woman was reportedly subjected to a rape attempt by three men inside an abandoned building near the South railway station after her male friend was held at knifepoint.

The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety risks posed by abandoned buildings, overgrown premises, and poorly lit stretches across the city, many of which have repeatedly figured in cases involving alleged drug abuse, theft, assault, and anti-social activities.

The Kochi City police have now launched a mission to identify and monitor vulnerable spots that could turn into criminal shelters. District Police Chief (Kochi City) Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said police teams had been conducting inspections across the city for the past few days to identify such locations and assess security risks.

The officer said several abandoned structures in the city, including unused commercial establishments and unfinished apartment complexes, were disputed properties that had remained neglected for years. “The authorities concerned and property owners would be directed to strengthen safety measures, including fencing the premises, improving lighting, and installing CCTV surveillance systems. Besides, police surveillance will be strengthened in such locations,” he said. He added that the police were yet to have a database of such vulnerable locations.

Police sources, meanwhile, said people arriving from other districts and States sometimes use such abandoned structures as temporary shelters, and some of them eventually become involved in criminal activities and drug-related offences.

The spaces beneath the Ernakulam North and South railway overbridges, South Kalamassery overbridge area, and premises around the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor are among the vulnerable locations requiring closer surveillance, the sources added.