SHE Teams complete one year, nab 281 eve-teasers

Promise safety and security to women 24X7

Hyderabad: The SHE Teams of Hyderabad police commissionerate, assuring safety to the women, said they would not let any eve-teaser go Scot free. Since the inception of SHE Teams in 2014, as many as 281 persons were caught on charges of teasing women and 19 persons were jailed.

In connection with the first anniversary of the SHE Teams in city police commissonerate, the teams head and Additional Commissioner (Crimes and SIT) Swati Lakra spoke to The Hans India on Tuesday and said, “Women in Hyderabad are no more unsafe. SHE teams assure safety and security to women around the clock.”

The teams have completed the service of protecting women from eve teasers and arrested as many as 281 persons since October 24, 2014, she said. The offenders, aged between 14 and 65 years, were caught red-handedly while harassing women.

Among the arrested, 129 were minors and 152 persons were majors. They have passed lewd comments on women, made obscene gestures towards girls at public places and bothered the privacy of women.

The officer said that so far, 12 persons were booked under Nirbhaya Act and were jailed along with seven others, who had outraged the modesty of women and girls. In some incidents, the courts have imposed fines on the eve teasers, while some 30 persons were warned and let off.

“The teams are formed keeping in view the State government’s vision of providing safe and secure environment for women and we are successful in providing the same for the past one year,” the Additional Commissioner said.

When asked about the cases that bothered the teams most, the officer said a businessman from Karimnagar, who had return to Hyderabad sometime ago, was teasing and harassing women online. One of the victims, a girl student based in Hyderabad, approached the SHE team seeking immediate action. The team worked for about 20 days to nab the accused and ensured his conviction.

In a recent incident, a former assistant manager of Food Corporation of India was nabbed by the SHE team police following complaints from victims that the accused has been harassing them to meet and also tried to extort money from them, she said.

Apart from booking cases, the offenders were counseled and their parents and other family members were also called for counseling. Juveniles were professionally counseled along with parents. The teasers were also made to take part in anti-eve teasing campaigns as part of reformative measure.

“A sense of security has come to the women in Hyderabad. Many victims are coming forward to report eve teasing as they have confidence in SHE teams,” the officer said, adding that, “We appeal citizens to report about the eve testing or any kind of harassment they witness in public places. Feel it as a matter of social responsibility and we ensure confidentiality of the complainant.”