Allahabad eves muster courage to defy eve-teasers, call helpline number - Times of India

ALLAHABAD: Mustering courage to speak up against eve-teasers, females in the Sangam city have begun to lodge complaints with the Anti-Obscene Call Cell (AOCC) set up by the police.

Though the number of complaints was not high, girls are approaching the officials posted here to report mischievous acts of miscreants sending vulgar SMSs and MMSs.

AOCC in charge Pratima Singh told TOI, "Girls are coming forward to lodge complaint. Sending obscene SMS/MMS or making call on a girl/woman's cell phone would now prove costly as anti-obscene call cell is going to register cases and take stringent action against senders.

A team of five police personnel including two women constables have been posted at the cell to solve the cases.Cops made it clear that the offender would first be given verbal warning and if he failed to mend his ways, he was liable to be prosecuted under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. Singh, meanwhile, added "We have been promoting the concept of anti-obscene call cell at women and girls' colleges appealing to them to share their views, complaints or experiences without hesitation. We have assured that miscreants would be dealt with strictly." The identity of complainants would remain secret."

The idea of setting up the cell was initiated by top police brass asking district police chiefs across the state to establish it at their respective points. Undoubtedly, the first initiative was taken by Sultanpur police in the same regard.

Officials admitted, "Earlier, most complainants did not want to get their names or identities disclosed due to social stigma but the scenario has changed. Several girls are approaching cops candidly and seeking advice or lodging complaints.

Officials further claimed "Once the cell was set up at the police office, complainants were being registered on phone doing away with need to visit the police station." But cops posted at the cell still feel there is need to spread awareness among fairer sex about the cell.

Police would be lodging FIRs under Section 67 of the IT Act,2000 against eve-teasers. A Bareilly woman had lodged the case under the same Act with Mahila Thana against two persons alleging they had been sending vulgar SMSs and making objectionable calls to her at odd hours on her mobile phone.

To spread awareness about the ABCC, women cops would be visiting girls Intermediate and degree colleges and brief them about the motive of setting up of the cell. The team would also take feedback of girls in the same regard. A senior cop told TOI that six complaints were received by the cell personnel and every case would be taken up properly.