Since the beginning of this year, the Rachakonda police have booked 57 cases against harassers and arrested 48 in Hyderabad. Among those booked, 14 were minors. The police also prevented a child marriage this year and say they have been able to prevent 71 instances of child marriage in the last two years.
The SHE team of the Rachakonda commissionerate in Hyderabad booked 57 cases in total against harassers, 48 were arrested. Of these cases, 24 of them resulted in an FIR being filed.
In one case registered on February 1, the SHE team conducted a decoy operation at ECIL Kamala Nagar near Geetham college at Kushaiguda. Two minor boys seated near the Geetham Junior college were caught passing lewd comments and making indecent gestures at college girls. They were caught by the SHE team police who were undercover and taken to Kushaiguda police station.
Minors caught for harassing of women were sent for counselling sessions conducted by Rachakonda SHE teams at the Commissioner Camp office, Nagole, LB Nagar, in the presence of the minors family members. They are counselled by counsellors from the Bhumika Women’s Collective (NGO).
“We are witnessing a higher number of minors being caught as more girls are coming forward to register a complaint and that’s a good thing,” says Dr Vasavi, Chief psychiatrist for the Racahkonda police, “The boys do not know what they are doing is wrong, for them bursting a cracker before girls at a bus stop seem like fun, they do not think how it impacts others. The problem arises from shortcomings in parenting and friendship circles,” adds the doctor.
Apart from nabbing those who harass women, the SHE teams are also taking efforts to prevent child marriages. In the last two years, alone the Rachakonda SHE teams stopped a total 71 Child marriages and rescued the girls.
The first such instance of child marriage that was stopped within the Rachkonda police limits on January 28 this year was when the Vanasthalipuram SHE team took action based on a tip-off about child marriage at Kammaguda village Abdullapurmet.
A 14-year-old girl studying in the 10th class was going to be married off to her 23-year-old relative. Based on the tip-off the SHE team Vanasthalipuram and childline members along with Vanasthalipuram police went to the marriage venue and explained about problems of the child marriages. The police say they counselled the girl’s parents and stopped the child marriage.
Many of the complaints and tip-offs the SHE team received was through WhatsApp and social media from different areas of the Rachakonda commissionerate. The police say they have identified different hotspots for harassment within the Rachakonda area and are keeping a close watch.
Those living in the Rachakonda area can reach out the SHE teams through the Rachakonda WhatsApp control number 9490617111 or dial 100 whenever they are facing harassment or sexual harassment.