Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, March 15, 2023
Community members on Heaphy Terrace are familiar with their neighbourhood dairy. The kids rush for quick ice cream on a hot day, tradespeople and people on the go love to pick up a pie and some snacks, while the families in the area rely on Bhupendra Patel’s dairy to get everyday supplies. Anyone who has ever attended an event at the Globox arena would have visited the dairy for a cold refreshing drink.
All that is sadly going to come to an end soon after Mr Patel decided to close the doors on Sunday due to several robberies and ramraids.
After three ramraids, it was a close encounter with masked robbers who walked in with a machete and ended up injuring a member of the public during a robbery last month, that proved to be the last straw for the dairy owner who is shutting his doors and walking away.
Mr Patel who owns Jai Jalaram Showgrounds Superette in Claudelands will close his door for the final time on Sunday after 13 years in business.
He told Indian Newslink that the only reason behind the decision was the constant threat of robberies, ramraids and the increasing violence that forced the decision for Mr Patel and his family.
He said, “We were robbed at around 2 pm on February 4, when masked men pulled up in a car outside and headed indoors with a machete. I pushed the button [of the fog cannon] and ran out of the shop. They injured a neighbour who saw the robbery happening and decided to record it on his phone for evidence to give to the police. One of the robbers hit him on the shoulder with a machete. It was merely a day after we installed the new door which was broken when a car ramraided through the door a month earlier.”
Following the incident, Patel’s family told him he needed to close the shop as they were worried for his wellbeing every day. Mr Patel, who is 63 years old, has decided to take early retirement and spend time with his family including his two grandchildren instead of nervously looking at his shop door for 12 hours a day.
It is not the first time the dairy has been targeted, with several ramraids and efforts to break in causing immense loss of resources and time while creating a stressful environment.
Mr Patel has all security measures in place, such as a fog cannon, security system and steel reinforced doors but has not been able to get bollards put in front of the building.
The dairy does have cigarettes, and Patel would be willing to get rid of them but feels that he would still be robbed for something else. The neighbouring businesses of the dairy, a restaurant and a hair salon have both been targeted within the last year, and Mr Patel emphasised the fact that it is no longer just about grabbing a few cigarettes, these are armed robberies and will continue until some serious action is taken.
Mr Patel has owned the dairy for the past 13 years and admits the decision to close is hard, and he will miss his regular customers. But he has also been trying to sell the business for the past two years with no success. He has also struggled to find staff because they’re afraid of the robberies.
He said, “If these robberies are going to keep happening, other shop owners will be fed up. Someone will be beaten very badly, you lie in hospital, and your shop will be closed. Even if a shop is open it is still going to be scary, businesses will be closing up.”
With businesses tough to sell, Patel believes other owners will close their doors and walk away as well.
Patel would like Hamilton City Council to discuss more with businesses about what is required to keep shop staff safe. He said, “The Mayor and councillors should know what is happening, they come when they want the votes but don’t come back once elected.”
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
