Most women face harassment on the road at some point, be it in the form of a snide comment, unsolicited touch, or violation of personal space.
A few weeks ago, when T. Jyotsna was walking towards the Guindy station she was accosted by a man in a car. “For the entire distance to the station, he drove beside me and passed lewd comments. I just continued walking and ignored him,” she said.
Since that episode, she avoids walking even short distances on that stretch and prefers to take autos.
According to advocate Nagasaila, the main recourse available to women who are harassed on public transport or on the road is to file an FIR at the nearest police station. “But the problem is many women are not comfortable visiting a police station, even the All Women’s Police Stations,” she says.
According to a senior police officer, there are very few cases that are registered by women against harassment in public places. “The public should be more comfortable in visiting a police station. If they are very reluctant, they can contact the police through Facebook, email, or even SMS. This way, the police will also be able to prevent future incidents,” he said.
Complaints can be registered through mobile on 98409 83832, by SMS on 95000 99100 and email at cop@vsnl.net.
