Ajit Road area: Eve-teasing incidents on the rise

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 11

Incidents of eve-teasing, passing lewd comments and indecent gestures are on the rise in the Ajit road area of the city.

Over the years, the Ajit Road area has become an educational hub with the presence of a large number of students.

A girl today filed a complaint with the police, in which she stated that she, along with her friend, was on her Activa when four unidentified persons travelling in a Scorpio car (PB 03 AS 1600) made indecent gestures to them on Ajit Road.

A case under Sections 354 D of the IPC and 12 of the POSCO Act has been registered against the four persons at the Civil Lines police station.

Even in the past many eve-teasing cases were reported in the Ajit Road area and its adjoining areas. There are also many incidents that have not been reported as the fear of social stigma stops the victims from approaching the police.

In a majority of unreported cases, girls also fear of their security due to residing in PGs, away from their families.

Prof NK Gosain, Dean, Malwa College, said, “The police alone cannot keep a complete check on the problem of eve-teasing and sexual harassment. There is a need for active public support with strict laws. It should be ensured that the laws are effectively implemented.”

“Parents should not blindly support the wrongdoings of their wards. Rather, they should try to inculcate moral values in their children so that they don’t indulge in immoral and unethical activities,” he added.

Gurleen Kaur, a Class XII student, said, “Boys have been noticed wandering on their motorbikes on the Ajit Road on a number of occasions. They follow girls and try to abuse them physically. It has happened twice with our friend. We feel very scary and don’t go alone outside. The police should increase patrolling in this eve-teasing prone area.”

Another student Nisha Bansal, who takes coaching at one of the institutes in the Ajit road area, said, “The Ajit Road area is very unsafe place. Boys and middle-aged men follow us, pass lewd comments and abuse us when we ignore them.”

She said more number of police personnel, especially lady employees, be deployed on the Ajit Road. The police should increase patrolling in the area, she added.