‘Operation Romeo’, a special drive to crack down on eve-teasers, is under way in Kozhikode city as part of the surveillance measures initiated to ensure better protection for women and children in public places and buses during the festival season. The police officers heading the squads say they have so far booked 34 persons under the drive.
Though the number of persons booked has been low, the number of persons warned for suspected eve-teasing attempts is steadily on the increase. According to official figures, 900 persons have been warned by the police for suspected attempts of eve-teasing. The majority of those who were warned are youngsters.
Both Pink Patrol officers and plainclothesmen are out in the field, covering major streets, shopping centres, beaches and parks. Crowded locations in the city are also being monitored by camera surveillance squads from a dedicated control room.
As the drive was launched without much publicity following a directive from Deputy Commissioner of Police A. Sreenivas, many involved in eve-teasing on beaches and streets were caught red-handed, says a senior police officer.
Any unwelcome sexually determined behaviour, physical contact, request for sexual favours, sexually favoured remarks, and leering and obscene jokes will be treated as eve-teasing. The police have said that such incidents will be considered sexual assault and will be dealt with stringent legal action. Considering the festival rush, the duty time of the patrol squads has also been extended in the evening, they add.
Noticing an increase in the arrival of migrants to cash in on the seasonal trade, the presence of plainclothesmen has been increased in bus stands, busy streets and tourism spots. The support of bus workers will be sought to closely monitor suspicious inter-district and inter-State passengers.
