Date:24/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/24/stories/2007072451410300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Stepped up vigil, special teams to curb eve-teasing in Puducherry

Victims are reluctant to complain fearing entanglement in legal proceedings, says Rajesh Nair

There has been an increase in the cases of eve-teasing and complaints of sexual harassment in public places during the last two years. While there were 21 cases of eve teasing reported in 2005, the number reported in 2006 went up to 29. A stepped up combing operation against eve-teasers, after large-scale complaints surfaced from students travelling in public buses, during the last 26 days helped the police to nab a number of offenders, mostly college students.

The Police Department have formed special teams, each comprising of two women constables, with logistical support given by men in uniform. The women constables in mufti would travel in buses, while the uniformed men would trail the bus in their vehicles, according to V. Vijayakumar, Superintendent of Police, North, who is also in-charge of the All Women Police Station.

In the last 26 days, a number of eve teasers were nabbed from private buses plying along Puducherry-Kalapet route, which has several educational institutions. Five cases were registered, according to Mr. Vijayakumar. All of them were booked under Section 34 BB of Indian Penal Code, which can get the offenders an imprisonment of one month.

One of the problems that the law enforcement agency faces during detection of eve teasing cases is that the victims are reluctant to give a formal complaint.

Senior Superintendent of Law and Order Chhaya Sharma says if police take up cases suo motto, they would not stand up before a court of law.

A complaint and a witness would give more teeth to the case. The fear of getting entangled in court proceedings was one of the reasons for not many coming forward to file a complaint.

Police say that in most cases of eve teasing, the offenders admit their mistake on the spot, fearing further harassment and negative publicity. The victims’ fear was unfounded in eve teasing cases, Chhaya Sharma said.

The Police Department has launched a massive sensitisation programme targeting girl students of colleges and schools.

The programme includes mental counselling and physical training to tackle eve teasers.

The physical training given jointly by the police department and a karate expert teaches the girls various ways to wriggle out of difficult situations.