Girls told to keep pepper sprays, pen knives

AHMEDABAD: What if I kill somebody in self-defence? How will the law treat me? As Stuti Dave, 15, walked up to the dais and asked these questions, she was greeted with silence.
Senior police officers, teachers and students sitting in the auditorium of CN Vidyalaya on Monday were stuck dumb unable to answer this teenager studying in the school.
Finally, assistant commissioner of police VR Tolia got up to reply."According to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, if a child kills in self-defence then he or she is not considered guilty. But, the accused will have to establish that the act was indeed committed in self-defence," he said.
Many such questions were fired at police officers during a programme to create awareness among school and college students on self-defence. The programme was organized as per directives issued recently by director general of police, Gujarat, SS Khandwawala following the gangrape of a school student in Surat.
Each police station is going to organize such programmes with individual schools. The first was organized by inspector of Ellisbridge police station HM Kundaliya.
Tolia told the girls that cases of sexual harassment and rape are on the rise and if girls are more careful these can be averted. For instance, they should refuse gifts and invitations from casual acquaintances, let alone unknown persons, he warned.
He also suggested that girls should be armed in some way to combat an assailant. "If you don't have anything to fight with, shout for help. Seek a family member with whom you can share your problems and immediately inform the person if you are in trouble," he said.
Other pieces of advice given by police officials were not to reply to an SMS from an unknown person, be alert that food is not drugged when they go to a restaurant with somebody and stop anyone who tries to click their photo with a mobile phone camera or digital camera. They were also told to save police's emergency number in speed-dialling of their cell phones so that they can call for help whenever required.
DGP'S GUIDELINES
* Keep small pen knives or pepper sprays for self-defence
* Don't take lifts from unknown people; if you do and are subjected to harassment, shout for help
* While travelling in an elevator, stay close to the control panel
* If rowdies are found hanging around outside schools and colleges, inform police
* If somebody sends you objectionable SMSes, register a police complaint under the IT Act, 2000
* Parents should scrutinize their children's mobile phone statements to keep a tab on who they are interacting with
Photo quotes (students of CN Vidyalaya)
I was headed home from school one afternoon when two rowdies started chasing me and passing lewd comments. I was frightened as I was in a deserted lane and started shouting for help. Residents gathered immediately and the rowdies beat a hasty retreat. Shouting for help really works - Jaini Shah, 15
While coming home from school, my bicycle got a puncture. A youth on a motorbike stopped and asked me to get on his bike. I hit him hard with my school bag. The rowdy fell and the bike fell on his leg leading to a fracture - Jahnvi, 15