Police ask women’s hostels, PGs to register

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Bengaluru: Following the national outcry over the recent gangrape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi, the State government has announced several measures to ensure safety of women in Bengaluru, including launching of dedicated helpline to attend to women’s grievances.
Briefing reporters, Deputy CM  R. Ashok said women facing physical harassment and those who are victims of eve-teasing can call on the toll-free number 1091 in Bengaluru city. The helpline has been made operational with immediate effect.
Ashok said the helpline in Bengaluru will work 24X7 and attend to all types of cases related to women including rape, assault, kidnap, harassment at workplaces. “Distressed women can call 1091 and the police will register cases and immediately rush to the spot to provide help to victim. The department will also create a special squad to attend to such cases,” Ashok said.
The Home department has given directions to all women’s hostels and women paying guest facilities in Bengaluru to register with the nearest police station. Closed-circuit TVs will be installed at all important public places in the city, including colleges and bus stands.
Police will also map isolated places in and around Bengaluru, including the Bangalore University campus.The city police have also decided that Global Positioning System (GPS) should be compulsorily installed in all maxi cabs and buses hired by private firms, including software firms. If companies fail to install GPS and register the details of cabs with the police within the stipulated time, stringent action will be taken against them, Ashok warned.
Releasing a brochure, ‘Your Protection Our Responsibility’, the minister said the police advisory will be circulated to conductors and drivers of all BMTC and KSRTC buses and at all public places. The police have also warned women against allowing strangers to take their photographs at malls and public places and not to share their photos with strangers on social networking sites.