A day after a Bengaluru newspaper reported about the mass molestation of women in the city’s busy MG Road and Brigade Road during new year celebrations, the police said they were yet to receive any complaints.
The Bangalore Mirror alleged in a front-page report that unruly mobs started “pawing, molesting and passing lewd remarks” on women who had gathered for revelry on MG Road and Brigade Road. The alleged molesters forced many women to take off their shoes and run for help to the nearest policeman, the report added.
“If we are given coordinates of any lady molested on 31st at M G Rd, we the police will visit her and take appropriate action without delay (sic),” Bengaluru commissioner of police, Praveen Sood, posted on Twitter.
The commissioner also said the police would look at CCTV footage and take up cases suo motu.
However, KS Vimala of the All India Women Democratic Association said the police should have acted on the night of the incident.
“What is the point of asking women to come forward now?” she asked.
She said there was a problem and it is about the whole society. “Men think they can get away with such incidents and it is women and other such groups that are blamed for being molested.”
She also criticised state home minister “these kinds of things do happen” and that it was the result of young people trying to “copy” western mindsets and clothing.
“The state machinery must make sure that people are made aware that such behaviour is not acceptable. The administration should have put up hoardings in the lead up to the event to reiterate the law.”
The Centre, too, has weighed in on the issue. On Tuesday, Union minister of state for home said all the identified culprits should be arrested.
“We can’t allow the shameful act of #MassMolestation go unpunished. Bangaluru is a vibrant city & women safety is must in a civilised society (sic),” Rijiju tweeted.
Source: HindustanTimes