The Hyderabad gang rape-and-murder incident has brought back chilling reminders of the Nirbhaya case not just for residents but also the Delhi Police, which has issued fresh instructions to all patrolling units to ensure safe transport facilities for women stranded at any location in the city during odd hours.
The advisory was first issued after the December 2012 incident and has been in practice since then. The guidelines assume more importance in winter when the sun sets early, and the Hyderabad incident has prompted the police to enforce them more vigorously now, said a senior police officer on Saturday.
DCP (PCR) Sharat Sinha said they keep sensitising the policemen deployed in PCRs about women’s safety.
“PCR is the first responder to any distress call and we reach any location in the city within a few minutes. We also ensure the availability of women constables in PCRs operating during odd hours,” said Mr. Sinha.
Last week, the PCR vans responded to seven calls made by women commuters who either lost their way or suffered a vehicle breakdown on the road during odd hours. In all seven cases, the police personnel ensured that the women reached their homes safely.
“We request all women who travel late at night from their workplaces to instal Delhi Police safety app ‘Himmat Plus’,” said a police officer.
Another officer said he had recently held a meeting with all SHOs and instructed them to sensitise autorickshaw drivers, e-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw pullers about women safety as they provide last-mile connectivity from any metro station.
