Eve-teasers in UP district to face police-parental vigilance

Boys found loitering around girls' schools and colleges in Muzaffarnagar will have to bring their parents to the police station for counselling.

Since most schools have reopened, the Muzaffarnagar police have revived the anti-Romeo squads with a new strategy to check the harassment of girls and women.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhishek Yadav has directed that at least four such police squads should be formed.

"This is the festival season and schools and colleges have also reopened. I have ordered patrolling in different areas to catch young boys standing outside colleges and roaming on the streets that women frequent. These boys will be detained and their parents will be called to explain their act," the SSP said.

He said that the idea was to ensure parental pressure on young boys without shaming or humiliating them.

These squads will also keep an eye on marketplaces, especially, in the evenings.

It may be recalled that on August 26, a girl was molested by an unknown biker. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed outside a shop. Later, a case was registered at the Civil Lines police station and the accused was identified and imprisoned.

Eve-teasing incidents have recorded an increase though the majority of the cases go unreported.