SHE Teams Tighten Crackdown On Harassment Cases

Hyderabad: SHE Teams in Malkajgiri and Cyberabad commissionerates intensified action against harassment, stalking and online abuse cases over the past few weeks, with police booking criminal and petty cases, conducting decoy operations and counselling offenders.

Malkajgiri police commissioner B. Sumathi said police would not spare those harassing women and girls and urged victims to come forward without fear. Between April 16 and 30, Malkajgiri She Teams received 86 complaints, including 25 related to phone harassment, 29 linked to social media abuse and 32 involving direct harassment. Police registered 10 criminal cases and 23 petty cases, while 41 persons underwent counselling in the presence of family members.

During the same period, police apprehended 66 offenders, including five minors. Police also fined three men found travelling in women only compartments during metro decoy operations.

Several cases involved allegations of blackmail, sexual assault, online harassment and threats using private photographs and videos. In one case, police booked a man accused of sexually assaulting and blackmailing a 21 year old student using private videos. In another, a man was arrested for allegedly posting objectionable content targeting a woman relative on social media.

Cyberabad She Teams conducted 99 decoy operations between May 2 and May 7 and caught 32 persons allegedly indulging in indecent acts at public places. Police booked 42 petty cases and counselled others. Cyberabad SHE Teams also received 17 complaints from women during the week.

Cyberabad Anti Human Trafficking Unit rescued three victims in PITA cases and 4 boys in Juvenile Justice Act cases. Police said awareness programmes on cyber bullying, stalking, trafficking, child rights and women safety reached nearly 1,700 people across Cyberabad.