Multiple SHE teams of the Rachakonda police in Hyderabad have apprehended 38 people from different areas over the past three weeks for the sexual harassment of women. What stands out here, is that the arrests were all made promptly after the complaint was lodged.
The SHE teams took cognisance of complaints lodged by women on WhatsApp and well on social media and a total of 36 cases, including for petty crimes, have been registered by the police.
“When we received these complaints, we spoke to the woman and in cases in which the offences were grave, we filed a case and took the person into custody. The accused was produced before a court and as per the court’s direction, he was asked to pay a fine or do community service,” Salima, the Additional DCP heading the Rachakonda SHE team, told TNM.
The SHE teams took cognisance of complaints lodged by women on WhatsApp and social media and a total of 36 cases, including petty cases, have been registered by the police.
In one of the cases, a 20-year-old autorickshaw driver was held for harassing and stalking an 18-year-old student. He would call her multiple times, stating that he loved her and would marry her. When she rejected his advances, he sent her morphed photos to her college friends and family and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not marry him. The girl filed a complaint with the police and a case has been registered under IPC sections 354(D) (Stalking) and
Around 10 people were caught red-handed by the SHE teams in a decoy operation from Sanjeevani Park area Gurram Guda area for creating a nuisance at public places and passing lewd comments at women. A case was registered against them and as punishment, LB Nagar special court directed them to participate in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for three days.
In another case, a 27-year-old employee living in Malkajgiri would harass his former colleague by making abusive phone calls and sending her vulgar messages. Based on her complaint, the police filed a case under Section 354(D) (Stalking) of the IPC and the accused was arrested and remanded to custody.
The arrested accused and their family members attended counselling sessions conducted by the SHE teams. The accused were counselled by professiona
If we feel that the accused is responding well to the counselling and if the survivor also says that she is satisfied with the action, we let him go. Otherwise, he is made to attend more counselling sessions till he improves,” Addl. DCP Salima added.
Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh M Bhagwat has commended the work by the SHE teams and has appealed to women from Rachakonda to lodge any further complaints with the teams through WhatsApp (+91 490617111) or dial 100 if and when they face street sexual harassment.