Eve-teasing: Cops to hit the streets

MUMBAI: The Mohalla Committee of Andheri, along with the police, will launch an awareness campaign against sexual harassment on Monday, which coincides with the one-month anniversary of the murders of two youths at Amboli.
The initiative has been taken as the safe-city-for-women perception of Mumbai seems to be eroding, with the October 20 confirming the citizens' fear all the more.On that day, Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez, who had gone out with friends, were fatally assaulted in a scuffle that started with a bystander allegedly passing lewd comments at their women friends. While Keenan died immediately, Reuben succumbed to injuries later.
A special team that was formed to probe the case has almost completed the investigation and is now awaiting the scientific reports from the forensic science laboratory and a source said the reports might be delayed as the lab faced a shortage of chemcials as well as that of manpower. According to the police, the probe so far indicates that the main accused, Jitu Rana, was wearing a 'pathani dress' at the time of the crime. After fleeing the spot, he washed the blood-stained clothes and changed into a new set of garments, the police added.
After the incident, a special squad was formed under the additional commissioner of police (W) which has been keeping a watch on the streets of the western suburbs. During its patrol, the squad has rounded up around 450 people for eve-teasing in the past 10 days. "Every day, our squad has been booking around 50 people for sexual harassment," an official said.
Monday's awareness campaign will start with street plays that will be conducted outside the Amboli Bar and Kitchen in Andheri where the youths were killed. The skits, to be performed by college students, will focus on sexual harassment on public transport as well as at public places and how the offenders cannot get away without being punished. "More and more youths are arrested for sexual offence," said additional commissioner of police Vishwas Nagre-Patil, who will be present at the event that will start at 4.30pm. He added that the idea was to spread the message that no one could go scot free after committing such a heinous crime. DCP Pratap Dighavkar, Keenan and Reuben's kin and witnesses are likely to be at the event.
The street play will focus on eve teasing, sexual harassment to women in train, buses, and other public places and how the law catches them and sends them to imprisonment. The basic idea is to bring awareness among the youngsters. More and more youths are arrested for this crime. The street plays bring awareness. The street plays will be performed in all the public places outside the malls, cinema halls, outside colleges, gardens and other public places.'' said Patil.
The police's drive is not limited to the campaign. The special team formed to probe the case has almost completed the investigation and are waiting for the various scientific reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Sources said FSL report may be delayed as there is shortage of various chemcials as well as shortage of manpower. Police said Jitu Rana, the main accused who was wearing pathani dress at the time of crime, fled away from the spot and is believed to have washed the blood stain clothes and wore a new set of dress.
Meanwhile the special squad formed under the additional commissioner of police (West Region) in last ten days have rounded up around 450 persons for eve teasing. Every day our squad is catching 50 to 60 persons and charging them for eve teasing in the western suburbs.
Kennan Santos and Rubean Fernandez who had gone along with their friends to a restaurant were knifed on October 20 outside the Amboli Bar and Kitchen, allegedly after they objected to women in their group being harassed. Santos and his friends were at a paan shop when they got into an altercation with an unknown man there. The man, Jitendra Rana, 25, was then slapped by a member of Santos's group, after which Rana threatened revenge and left with his three friends. Rana returned with his associates who were armed with knives and sticks. Santos and Fernandez were knifed. While Santos died that night itself, Reuben died on October 31.