In an attempt to address to issues such as ragging, eve-teasing and stalking at schools and colleges efficiently, the Chittoor Police on Wednesday embarked on a mission as part of which complaint and suggestion boxes would be set up in 600 educatioonal institutions in the first phase.
Launching mission at an engineering college on the outskirts of Chittoor town here on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said that the boxes would be regularly monitored by the Deputy SP rank officials in their respective sub-divisions. He asked the police personnel in Chittoor, Puttur, Palamaner and Madanapalle sub-divisions to set up such boxes at the earliest.
Social stigma
“The mission is aimed at creating a strong sense of confidence among students at educational institutions that they can pursue their courses in a fearless atmosphere, away from all sorts of campus evils. The facility will help police, students and college managements in early prevention and detection of crimes,” the SP said.
Many girl students, he said, were silently suffering from various problems at their homes, colleges and while travelling in public transport system.
“Many victims hold on to the opinion that by launching a police complaint, they will invite more troubles. Many girls and their parents still consider visiting police station a stigma and complain box is an answer to such issues,” Mr. Patil pointed out.
The SP further said that not only girls, but any student could drop their complaints in the boxes. “The Mahila Shakti teams (women cops) will collect the complaints weekly or even daily if the need be, and send those directly to the Deputy SPs of the respective sub-divisions who will take appropriate steps. The investigation, arrests, filing of charge-sheets and counselling will follow depending on the severity of the complaints. We hope, the students in rural areas will be benefited a lot,” Mr Patil said, assuring that the identities of the complainants would be certainly kept confidential.
WhatsApp helpline
Apart from campus evils, the students can also drop complaints and suggestions on the problems pertaining to law and order, harassment of women and child abuse, child marriages and any other anti-social activity in their villages and towns.
The SP also urged the students to make use of the Chittoor Police WhatsApp number 9440900005 to send messages in case of any emergency.
Additional SPs E. Supraja (Admin), Krishnarjuna Rao (Operations); Deputy SPs V.V. Giridar (Task Force), N.V. Ramanjaneyulu (Law and order), District Crime Records Bureau Inspector M. Mahesh, and police personnel from Chittoor police sub-division were also present on the occasion.