Woman IPS officer goes undercover at Hyderabad bus stop, 40 men approach her at night
: In a late-night undercover operation to assess women’s safety, Malkajgiri Commissioner of Police V Sumathi posed as a lone commuter at a bus stop in Hyderabad’s Dilsukhnagar area and was allegedly approached by nearly 40 men within three hours.
The operation was conducted between 12.30 am and 3.30 am to evaluate the safety conditions faced by women travelling alone at night and to check the effectiveness of police patrolling in vulnerable public spaces.
According to police sources, the senior IPS officer stood alone at the bus stop while plainclothes police teams remained deployed nearby as part of the operation. During the exercise, several men reportedly approached her, with some suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or ganja.
Officials said the individuals included youths, students and private employees. Police teams immediately intervened and detained those found behaving suspiciously or allegedly harassing women commuters.
Authorities stated that action was taken against persons accused of misconduct and creating disturbance around the bus stop area.
The operation also aimed to identify security gaps in late-night public transport zones and raise awareness regarding women’s safety. Police later conducted counselling sessions as part of the initiative.
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over women’s safety in urban areas during night hours and the challenges faced by women travelling alone.
