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Cop & community initiative helps to nab, shame molesters

A year-and-a-half after the fatal assault on Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes, two youths who tried to protect their women friends from molesters in Andheri, Izzat Ki Fauj, a community initiative aided by cops to net molestors, name and shame them, has started paying off.

A pilot project in the west zone across 21 police stations to crack down on molesters this year has already recorded a five-fold rise in the number of cases registered against no-touch harassers and thrice the number of molestation cases from a corresponding period last year. Police registered cases against 109 molesters and 62 no-touch harassers between January and April this year. The figures in the same period in 2012 were 39 and 11, respectively. Many molesters were arrested and granted bail. The number of cases registered so far this year is the highest in the last five years under section 354 of the IPC, which deals with physical molestation of women and under section 509, meant to punish people who with gestures or words commit acts of sexual harassment, said Vishwas Nangre-Patil, additional police commissioner (west zone).
The project, conceptualised by ad guru Alyque Padamsee, has received strong support from the police and involves youth volunteers fanning out in conventionally unsafe zones (like railway stations and crowded markets) along with two male cops and one female cop in plainclothes. Officials plan to replicate this in other zones soon. Areas currently covered are Bandra to Jogeshwari in the western suburbs and BKC till Powai in the eastern suburbs. Areas more prone to attract harassers were found to be Yari Road in Andheri, even Powai, area near Andheri (east) station and Carter Road.

“The aim is to keep Mumbai’s streets safe for women at all hours,” said Nangre-Patil on Friday. He along with Padamsee addressed over 100 police officers—from constables to sub-inspectors—from 21 police stations and an equal number of young men and women to launch a “sting” operation to rid streets of road-side romeos who think they can get away with assaulting women physically or verbally. The aim was to train police on how to spot and nab an “eve molestor” as Padamsee (82), refers to them. He emphasized on the importance of “naming and shaming a molester” and enacted how plainclothes cops along with volunteers can capture a molester on video. Volunteers include 200 youths from Zero Tolerance Campaign and Dakshata Samiti.

Nangre-Patil said, “We want to ensure that every woman, who steps out, returns home safe and un-hassled.”

“There is a vast under-reporting of sexual harassment cases in the city. A proactive police team with alert citizens will now lead to greater deterrence and respect for law,” said advocate Jamshed Mistry who has been associated with the initiative. In initial efforts about six months ago, the western zone’s senior policemen decided to test officers’ responses to complaints of harassment. “There has been a positive change in attitudes among police officers too,” said volunteers Anik Gadia and Dipti Joshi.

Source: htpp://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-05/mmbai/39041708_1_west-zone-andheri-molesters

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