Three assaults on women on one night

These incidents raise the question of safety, especially at night, in the city

Three incidents of assault on women pedestrians by bike riders on Sunday night have highlighted the lack of safety measures in the city.

In one case, the police arrested two men for allegedly allegedly assaulting a student on March 19. The 23-year old woman from Jharkhand, pursuing her MBA in the city, was walking on Panathur Road around 11 p.m. when the men on a bike pulled her hair, hit her on her back and sped away.

When she raised an alarm, two constables attached to Marathahalli police station, Beeralingappa and Usman, with the help of the public, nabbed the men, both in their early 20s.

That same night, another woman was attacked by a group of people in Chikkajala police limits after her friend, who was riding their bike, got into an altercation with another motorist. Four people were arrested for assault in this case.

Now, CCTV footage of a pillion rider inappropriately touching a woman pedestrian on Sunday night in Vijayanagar is doing the rounds on social media. The footage shows the women walking on a badly lit road in Hampi Nagar. As two men on a bike approach, the pillion rider is seen hitting the women on her back and speeding away.

“It looks like the duo were trying to rob the women. We are trying to track them down,” M.N. Anucheth, DCP West, said. Though no police complaint has been made, the incident throws light on how unsafe it has become for women to venture out at night. “The victims have to come forward to lodge a complaint. Otherwise, the offenders will still be on the run,” a police officer said.

SOS App

The police have also launched an SOS application linked to the control room. When activated it allows the user to record an audio and a video which will be transmitted to the control room.

Sneha Nandihal, president, Indiranagar I Stage Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), said that there was a need to improve illumination and also install more CCTV cameras on roads. “The police have to increase patrolling. The community also has to create awareness by putting up signs that warn pedestrians,” she said.

K.S. Vimala, of All India Democratic Women’s Association, said, “A joint effort by the government and society is needed. The police should conduct a proper investigation. There should be no loopholes for offenders. The judicial system should also be sensitised on not giving bail to the accused,” she said.