The SHE Teams deployed by the Hyderabad City Police caught 30 people, including 22 majors and 8 minors, for harassing women during the eve of Ganesh immersion in the city.
The Hyderabad police said that SHE Teams were on the lookout during the final day of the Ganesh procession, to check for anyone harassing women and to nab the offenders.
"While the teams were observing several locations, some people were following the procession and sprinkling water on women. Some were throwing water packets. Some people were caught for throwing paper pieces and flowers on women. Some were taking selfies with women without their knowledge. Some were blowing whistles and shouting at the ladies," the city police said in a statement.
"Some of them followed and stalked the women. Few others were trying to touch the ladies inappropriately in an inebriated condition. All these activities were video recorded and the accused were caught red handed with video evidence," it stated.
Speaking to TNM, Swathi Lakra, additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes & SIT) who also heads the SHE teams, said that her team worked on the evidence they were able to gather.
"Many a times, we have literally begged women to file complaints. But if they are not ready, we take the cases suo motu. We also insist on attendance and the accused has to come and sign the attendance every week. We also inform their families of their actions," the officer said.
Swathi added that due to affirmative action, these kinds of incidents have gone down near girls schools and colleges in the city.
A majority of the offenders were caught at Tank bund, next to Hussain Sagar, while others were caught at SR nagar, Charminar, Falaknuma, Mehdipatnam, Chaderghat and Secunderabad.
"Cases were registered and they are being produced in the court. Dozens were warned for creating nuisance," the police said.
Thousands of idols of different sizes and different avatars' from various parts of Hyderabad and outskirts were immersed in Hussain Sagar, the lake which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, earlier this week.
The idols were also immersed in lakes and water bodies in different parts of the city and outskirts.
About 15 lakh people joined the immersion processions, including the main processions, as over 27,000 security personnel were deployed to maintain peace.
In a departure from the past, the tallest idol installed every year at Khairatabad was the first to begin its journey towards Hussain Sagar. Huge cranes were deployed for immersion of the 57-foot-tall idol.
Authorities had deployed 159 cranes, including 51 static cranes, at 23 water bodies for immersion. At Hussain Sagar, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) along with other departments had arranged 27 cranes.
IANS inputs