Amid concerns for women safety in view of the gruesome rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad, the state police has issued an advisory for women travelling alone, especially during night hours.
The state police has also issued strict directions to commercial establishments to provide pick and drop facility to women employees on late night duty.
Director general of police (DGP) OP Singh said it was the duty of the employers to ensure that women employees who work till late evening or during night hours reached home safely.
He said the district police chiefs of all 75 districts had been asked to issue strict directions to commercial establishments like hotels, clothes shops, IT companies and other places where several women are employed.
He said the idea came after an incident in Hardoi district where superintendent of police Alok Priyadarshi came across a young woman walking alone and stopped to enquire. “On learning that she was an employee of a prominent hotel returning after a night shift, he walked with her to the hotel and confronted her employers, asking them to explain how they could be so callous on women safety,” he stated while narrating the incident.
He said a meeting with commercial establishments would be conducted in every district to sensitize them on ensuring the safety of women employees.
“We have issued detailed advisories to district police chiefs to ensure safety of women on roads,” said the DGP.
“The district police chiefs have been asked to sensitize police personnel on night patrol as well as staff of police response vehicle of 112 (state police integrated emergency call centre) to ensure safety of women if they come across a woman travelling alone,” the DGP said.
He said the PRV personnel had been directed to drop the woman at her destination in case of emergency after analysing the situation.
UP has traditionally scored low on women safety and the state has continuously figured poorly in various reports of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), especially on safety of women. The latest NCRB report, listing crime data of 2017, hasn’t been any different.
