Police draw new roadmap for women’s safety

The state has witnessed 10 incidents of rape within a month where minor girls and women have been targeted

Amid nationwide protests and demands for stricter punishment for crime against women after a paramedic student was gangraped in Delhi, Gujarat witnessed 10 incidents of rape within a month where minor girls and women were targeted. In the wake of this, the Gujarat Police issued a mandate last week for prevention of such incidents and sensitisation towards rape victims.

The recently drafted mandate includes daily extensive patrolling in isolated areas of cities and districts across the state. Cities and districts have reactivated the 'Romeo' squad and now have women officers also to keep an eye on miscreants and eve-teasers.

While BRTS stops are under CCTV camera surveillance, for other bus services and autorickshaws for which women wait on roads, police personnel have been asked to keep checking public transports regularly.

Inspector General of Police CID (Women Cell) Anil Pratham said, "District police chiefs have been asked to remain extremely vigilant and jump into action in cases where women complain of rape, gangrape, eve-teasing or sexual harassment. Policemen are being trained to become more sensitive towards victims and handle cases with care while keeping the dignity of women intact."

The state CID (crime) is preparing a report based on analysis of such cases to understand the reasons leading to rapes and modus operandi of rapists, so that stricter measures can be taken to prevent crime against women.

Case files

Among the 10 cases registered in the last one month, the most sensitive was of a vegetable vendor's daughter who was repeatedly raped by her sister's husband and his cousin at Dholka in Ahmedabad district in December. Unable to bear the humiliation, the 13-year-old girl later consumed pesticide and is now fighting for her life in hospital.

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