Amid a spate in rape incidents involving minors in Uttar Pradesh recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, 10 June, issued a slew of directions to the state police, including increasing foot patrolling in rural areas and making anti-Romeo squads more active, news agency PTI reported.
Pulling up the police and home department officials for “failing to instil fear among criminals”, Adityanath asked them to prepare a list of accused in crimes against women, according to a Times of India report.
The CM was reportedly upset over district administration’s reluctance in revival of anti-Romeo squads in the state.
“He (Yogi Adityanath) was upset with everyone, especially over the anti-Romeo squads. He also questioned home department why women police was not being used effectively and expressed displeasure over police failure to make arrests even a day after complaints are registered,” an official told TOI.
Cases of alleged rape of minors in Aligarh, Kushinagar, Hamirpur, Kanpur and Meerut have come to fore in recent days, sparking outrage in the country.
"We are dealing with such cases with full sensitivity and acting promptly. We will be fast-tracking these cases," Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh told reporters in Lucknow after an emergency review meeting convened by the chief minister to discuss the matter threadbare.
After the meeting, the DGP told reporters that a detailed discussion took place on the recent incidents and that documentation of all the accused involved in such cases should be done.
Besides, the anti-Romeo squads of the state police will be made more active and effective in future and all women helpline numbers will be integrated with Dial 100 (police emergency number), PTI quoted Singh as saying.
The anti-Romeo squds of the state police were introduced to check incidents of eve-teasing in 2017 when the Yogi Adityanath government came to power.
(With inputs from PTI and The Times of India)
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