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After Adityanath slams moral policing, 3 constables from 'anti-Romeo' squad suspended for picking up couple

Three UP policemen were suspended for picking up a couple.

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Three Uttar Pradesh policemen were suspended for moral policing after they detained a young couple at Ghaziabad, reported Hindustan Times. The couple were taken to a police station where there were no women personnel, and the incident earned widespread condemnation. Ranvir Singh, spokesperson for SSP Deepak Kumar, said: “The PCR van had no women personnel deployed. A video shot by some passerby also went viral and senior superintendent of police ordered suspension after the incident came to his knowledge.”

Those suspended were identified as head constable Mehtab and constables Pankaj Kumar and Dilip Kumar.

UP has a terrible record when it comes to women’s safety, and hundreds drop out each year because of sexual harassment in schools, colleges and public places.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had asked the Principal Secretary (Home) to chalk out clear guidelines for anti-Romeo squads and ensure that there was no unnecessary harassment of boys and girls moving around or sitting at any place, an official release said.

Anti-Romeo squads, a poll promise of the BJP that won a remarkable victory in the Uttar Pradesh election, drew criticism from certain quarters as visuals of policemen targeting young boys and girls went viral on TV and on social media. 

"The idea is to question, check group of boys or boys alone near colleges and other places, and create fear among potential harassers in public places," said a police officer. According to PTI's police sources, the modus operandi of the squads will be the same as that of the infamous 'Operation Majnu' in 2005, in which boys at crossings and markets were pulled up, and couples in gardens were thrashed by police.

It was seen as an attempt at moral policing and widely criticised. In Meerut, SP (city) Alok Priyadarshi denied charges of harassment. "The only job (of the squads) is to ensure safety of women and to ensure that eve-teasing does not takes place. For this we will also take preventive steps like not permitting miscreants to loiter in public areas where women are known to frequent. I will not say it is moral policing," he said.

The chief minister, who met an acid attack victim in hospital in Lucknow on Friday morning, asked for effective steps in cases of acid attacks. Adityanath who has termed law and order as the top priority of his government and asked for daily reports from all DMs and SPs. The chief minister holds the portfolio of Home department.

With inputs from agencies 

 

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