Terming the reports of mass molestation of women in Bengaluru’s MG Road and Brigade Road on New Year as unfortunate, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said such ‘incidents happen’ and that the issue would be looked into.
“Such incidents do happen on New Year’s eve and Christmas and that they do take a lot of precautions,” he said.
The city’s most bustling areas of MG Road and Brigade road saw thousands of men mobbing the revellers and groping women in the streets on Saturday night even as a large number of policemen were deployed in the area.
His comment came after a front-page report in Bangalore tabloid about unruly mobs who molested women who had gathered at MG Road and Brigade Road.
“We had deployed 1600 police personnel in the area for new year’s celebrations and around 60,000 people had come there that night. But we had the situation under control. However, if such incidents did take place that night we urge people to come forward and file complaints.”
In-charge of New Year’s Eve security in the city, former city police commissioner NS Megharikh claimed that the entire city police force, which included additional reserve battalions, was to be deployed on the city streets so as to maintain decorum in the city during New Year celebrations. However, all arrangement failed as none of these were of any help to the women who became easy targets for drunk hooligans.
“You should also understand the entire culture of celebration of the New Year’s thing over the years. We need to regulate and try and organise, we will have to see,” the minister said, underscoring that my first priority was “the security of women and children”, said Mr Parameshwara, denying reports that about 10,000 police personnel were posted in the city on that night.
“You cannot have 10,000 policemen, there were 1,500 policemen, we had sensitized all the units of police force so that no untoward incident happen,” the minister said.
The city police said no complaint has been registered so far, but they are gathering more information about what happened. “Since such reports have come we will identify culprits and take action, Karnataka’s Director General of Police Om Prakash said.
