PUNE
PUNE: The Pune police on Friday began a special security campaign for the safety of working women returning home at night, especially those employed in information technology (IT) companies, at the behest of Pune city police commissioner Retesh Kumaarr. The move comes in the wake of a recent incident wherein an auto-rickshaw driver allegedly tried to sexually assault a young girl employed as a computer engineer in the Wanwadi area. Fortunately, the girl managed to thwart the driver’s attempt by promptly contacting the police control room leading to his arrest. Participating in the special security campaign are the crime branch, traffic branch and local police.
The campaign entails intensifying night patrolling by the police in Pune city along with preventive action against individuals with a criminal record. Police commissioner Kumaarr has instructed all senior police inspectors, including those from the traffic and crime branches to give top priority to the highest level of precautionary measures for women’s safety. The security campaign includes: increased night patrolling by the police force across the city; raising awareness about security in IT companies; checking licenses and permits of rickshaw drivers and scrutinising private vehicles and drivers from platforms like Uber and Ola; preventive action against individuals with a criminal background; deployment of police personnel around Swargate and Shivajinagar bus stands and railway stations to deter theft and targeting of passengers arriving from outside the city; and stringent action against reckless driving during late hours and individuals with criminal records.
Police commissioner Kumaarr also urged women to contact the helpline number 1091, dedicated to assisting women in distress. Additionally, the police control room, 112, will remain available for emergency situations, he said. Kumaarr said that the vision of the city police was to deter, prevent and detect crimes against women based on four broad areas namely, frontline policing, community engagement, comprehensive investigation, and use of technology.
