A week after police arrested two youngsters for throwing acid on a college girl on the outskirts of Srinagar, the authorities have decided to deploy all-women flying squads at vulnerable places to check crime against women.
Initially, the squads will be deployed in uptown pockets of Baghat and Parraypora where coaching centers have mushroomed during the past two decades. Hundreds of young boys and girls attend coaching classes in the area. Students from the countryside take rented accommodations to pursue coaching classes especially during summers.
The areas are sometimes dominated by eveteasers and stalkers who prowl on female students. Following the murder of a girl student by ramming a speeding car into her while returning from tuitions a few years ago, locals launched a massive campaign against the unregulated coaching centres.
Though the officials have initiated measures to discipline the coaching hubs, the social implications of the mushroom growth are far from being checked effectively. Two years back, a teacher was defaced by an acid attacker, who was later sentenced rigorous imprisonment by a local court.
The issue returned to focus last month when a student pursuing law course was attacked with acid at Tawheedabad in Nowshera locality of Srinagar. Police remained clueless about the attackers for two weeks despite a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set-up by the provincial police chief.
However, last week while the victim was recuperating from surgery in Chennai, police held two youngsters involved in the heinous act. One of them had been spurned by the victim.
Sources said the women flying squads have been formed to check acid attacks, eveteasing and harassment of girls. "In case of stalking, harassment, teasing or any unwarranted advances by the delinquents, the girl students are requested to contact nearby female police personnel for instant assistance", a police statement said. "Some victims feel uncomfortable to talk on such sensitive issues with opposite gender", police said elaborating on the decision. "This endeavor is a part of some initiatives to be taken by police to sensitise the society about the dignity and honour to be extended to women".