Late at night on November 27, Telangana witnessed a horrific crime where a 27-year-old veterinary doctor was sexually assaulted, killed and set ablaze. The incident once again brought to the fore the issue of safety of women (or lack thereof) travelling alone at night.
In a proactive step, Ludhiana Police has announced that if a woman fails to find a safe way to return home between 10 pm to 6 am, she can call them and a PCR vehicle or SHO vehicle will give her a free ride, reports Business Standard.
The Indian Express quoted Commissioner of Police Rakesh Agrawal saying,
“We have started many programs to ensure safety and security of women in Ludhiana. We have two dedicated helpline numbers — ‘1091’ and ‘7837018555’ — for this. They work 24×7. Women can dial these to get a free ride to their home in Ludhiana.”
The Times of India further quoted him adding,
“We have also launched the Shakti app. With the click of a button, women can reach out for police help. The Shakti app has an SOS feature and on one click, your 10 contacts are updated about your location with SOS help message and the location is immediately shared with nearest the PCR.”
Furthermore, female cops will take calls during the day so that women feel safe reporting or filing complaints of harassment or stalking. Thank you, Ludhiana police, for this step against crime.