Patrol at University area, CG Road to deter molesters

Ahmedabad: The attempted molestation of two minor girls at Parimal Garden on Wednesday by four teenage boys has finally prodded the police to take corrective measures.
A round-the-clock patrol by women cops at University area, CG Road, especially around Municipal Market, Law Garden, Parimal Garden, Nehru Bridge and Ellisbridge areas will be started from next week, according to sources.
Police have received information that boys gather in these areas and often tease girls. Shift timings and number of cops in each squad are yet to be finalised. But, the plan is that half the cops who patrol the sensitive zones will be in plain clothes and rest in uniform. They will be armed with batons, said the sources.
Why is Gujarat's safe for women' tag slowly disappearing? "One reason for gangrapes is porn films. There should be stringent action taken on this matter. Also, films and television serials too depict so much violence against women that youngsters are adversely influenced," said ACP Usha Rada who is in charge of the only women's police station in the city at Karanj.
Police believe that victims also should speak out without hesitation. If fear has to be instilled in perpetrators of rape and molestation, the accused have to be caught and investigation taken to the logical conclusion, she said.
But, in the Parimal Garden case the accused were let off by the police as no one was willing to file a complaint.
"A second mahila police station is planned at Ranip. We have been asked to take all women-related complaints very seriously," she said.
Karanj police station gets 15 to 20 applications everyday. In 2008, 82 FIRs were filed under section 498 A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) which relates to domestic violence. But, only two rape FIRs were filed, she said.