Harassed in public places, numbed by onlookers’ response

Sexual harassment at public places and during commute is so common that most women tend to walk away quietly, primarily because of lack of support from those around. However, more and more women have now started to stand up for themselves and others, and bring harassers to bookCase studies:
Horror cab on way to airportA 35-year-old woman, who was scheduled to take an early morning flight to Delhi from RGI Airport, hired a taxi through an app. During the journey, after proceeding on the PVNR Expressway, she noticed the driver behaving in an inappropriate and suspicious manner. She observed that he was repeatedly moving his left hand toward his private parts and engaging in obscene acts while driving. The complainant felt extremely embarrassed, frightened, and unsafe.In distress, she immediately called her husband and remained on the call for support. Upon reaching the airport, the complainant raised an alarm, informed nearby people, and confronted the driver. With little help from the onlookers, she then brought the matter to the notice of CISF personnel at the airport and explained the incident in detail. As she was distressed and her flight departure time was approaching, she was advised to proceed for boarding. Subsequently, the SHE Team took up the issue and the accused was arrested. When the driver was produced in court, he was awarded five days of imprisonment by a court in Nampally.Catcalling at crowded bazarsA degree student studying at a government university said that catcalling is something she and her classmates face almost every day, especially in the Koti and Sultan Bazar areas. When they walk through these areas, she said they have been at the receiving end of derogatory, sexually suggestive, or insulting comments from shopkeepers, vendors as well as those waiting near roadside outlets.Despite the presence of several people around, almost no one comes to their aid. The students said they are forced to keep their heads down and move on as they do not know how to react or whom to turn to in such situations. "We just walk away quietly because we feel there is no point arguing," she said.Captured on video callsA BA student said that when she waits with her friends at a bus stop, men often start taking their videos and photos in the guise of making video calls or shooting random clips. She said such situations make them extremely uncomfortable as they intrude into their privacy. Sometimes, the harassers even show them to others during video calls. Though the bus stop is often crowded with people of different age groups, no one intervenes or asks these harassers to stop recording women without their consent. She said they are usually forced to ignore the perpetrator and walk away to avoid "creating a scene". This silence, she said, only emboldens the offenders. "They know no one will question them, so they keep doing it again," she said.Touched almost dailyA 19-year-old student who uses public transport for her daily commute to college said travelling in buses has become a nightmare as she is touched and groped during almost every ride. She said many of her friends face similar experiences. She explained that at times men try to enter or exit through the front door by pushing their way through a group of women struggling to stand in the bus. In the process, they touch women inappropriately and walk away scot-free, knowing that no one is likely to question them even in a crowded bus. "It happens so often that we have started treating it as something we just have to tolerate," she said.Flashed at in metro liftA woman in her late 20s was caught off guard when she suddenly saw a youngster flashing inside a lift in the metro. He was also misbehaving with women passengers by groping them. Shocked by the incident, she simply walked out of the uncomfortable situation. However, the behaviour was noticed by the station controller at Nampally Metro Station, who submitted a complaint against the youngster. The incident was also caught on CCTV on Dec 16, 2025. Later, he was found to be a repeat offender who had committed similar offences at other metro stations. Though none of the women came forward to complain, metro authorities informed the Women Safety Wing (WSW), which traced the accused and handed him over to the Nampally police, who arrested him.Vulgar remarks during bike rideA 23-year-old woman booked a bike ride through an app from Alwal. During the journey, the driver behaved inappropriately by using vulgar language and asking the passenger to send her photographs. Shocked by the behaviour, the woman immediately got down from the bike. She confronted him on the bus road but did not receive much help on the spot from the onlookers. Later, she approached the police for help. The accused was booked and caught.Phone calls from auto driverA woman working in a software company took a shared auto rickshaw at Madhapur and went up to IKEA. She made the payment to the driver through UPI at around 8.30pm. Few hours later, she started receiving calls from an unknown person. The late night calls continued for a few days. Unable to take it further, she approached the police, who traced the accused, who turned out to be the auto driver. On questioning him, he disclosed that he got her phone number from the UPI service. The accused was arrested.Harassed on phoneA 23-year-old woman booked a bike ride through a taxi aggregator from Nanakramguda to Kukatpally. During the ride, the rider misbehaved with the customer and later continued to harass her by repeatedly making phone calls. He accessed her phone number after she booked the ride. The accused was arrested by Kukatpally police on Jan 23.Assaulted while boarding busA woman working in a private organisation said that while she was waiting at a bus stop to go to her workplace on Feb 3, a man was loitering nearby and closely observing her movements. When she was boarding the bus, she said the man suddenly attacked her, indulged in obscene physical behaviour, and fled from the spot. While she could do nothing at the moment, she later filed a complaint with the SHE Teams. On receiving the complaint, the SHE Team verified CCTV footage from the surrounding areas, through which the accused was identified. The accused was subsequently traced and arrested.Flashing by auto driverA girl student studying at a Government Degree Women's College said that an auto driver, while sitting in his vehicle, indulged in obscene acts by exposing his private parts and masturbating in front of her and her friends. She said it had become difficult for them to even pass through that area as he continued the act, and no one bothered to question him. After receiving a complaint, police conducted a decoy operation at a bus stop and caught the accused while committing the obscene act. He was apprehended, questioned, and a case was registered against him by the local police.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !