Women techies feel insecure around Technopark amid lax police security

Friday 11 May 2018 05:45 AM IST

by Our Correspondent

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Police bungle, women techies feel insecure in Technopark neighbourhood

Eight police officers from AR Camp were posted at Technopark for patrolling seven months ago.

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Thiruvananthapuram: The security arrangements implemented by the police at Technopark with the aim of ensuring women’s safety are now topsy-turvy. Even the round-the-clock bike patrol which was launched with much fanfare is now in limbo. The patrolling ceased soon after women employees of Technopark complained of increasing incidents of eve-teasing. The crisis developed after six of the eight police officers deployed for patrolling were shifted to other duties.

Eight police officers from AR Camp were posted at Technopark for patrolling seven months ago. This was in the backdrop of thefts and other crimes against women showing an increase. Six of them were shifted to the local police station last week without replacements being made. All the four bikes used for patrolling are now virtually abandoned. Though there is a jeep which is used for patrolling, employees say that it has not been effective in checking crime.

The jeep patrols only the Park area and the bypass. It does not cover the places near the rear entrance of Technopark like Ambalathinkara, Thripadapuram and Kariavattom from where incidents have been reported. The jeep, which was allotted solely for patrolling, is deployed only during the daytime. During night-time, it is often idle. Police officials say that they cannot conduct patrolling all the time as the fuel allowance is limited. Further, the jeep often avoids the byroads, where most incidents take place.

Eve-teasing on bypass; action taken, say pink police

Eve-teasing is rampant along the bypass road at night. Most incidents are reported from the side roads leading to the hostels between Technopark and Infosys. The main culprits are youths riding bikes who pass lewd comments. A woman Technopark employee said that the problem exists in coffee shops also.

However, the Pink Police said that timely action was taken in two recent incidents reported from the bypass. One involved four auto-rickshaw drivers harassing a young woman and the other, a woman being followed on a bike and showered with abuse. Pink Police officers said that no woman Technopark employees have come forward to register complaints. Complainants refuse to reveal their names too. As a result, in most cases, the eve-teasers are let off with a warning.

Women employees give eve-teaser his due

In a recent incident, a group of women Technopark employees returning from a colleague’s birthday party at a beer parlour noticed that a youth was following them. The women, who belong to north Indian states, decided to teach him a lesson. About half a kilometer from the beer parlour, the youth was right behind the women and attempted a vulgar act. One woman tactfully approached the youth and bashed him up. The others joined her. But the youth managed to free himself from the women’s attack and escaped.

No complaints were registered in connection with incident, which took place near Attinkuzhy church, by either party.

Hostels lack cameras

Though an initiative had been launched to ensure that all hostels had security cameras, officials concerned are now lax about the security measures. As a result, no new cameras are being installed. The police had planned to set up cameras in all hostels and keep a watch. However, with the police officers in charge getting transferred, the fate of the project hangs in the balance.

In the first phase of the project, the police had collected details of the hostels in Kazhakkoottam as well as the houses where the Technopark employees stayed. It was planned to prepare a register containing these details. Even after one year, the register is not yet ready.

Residents’ associations in the area had offered to install cameras at several places but the response of the officers was tepid.

Risky roads

The authorities had announced that special surveillance would be in place at areas adjacent to the Technopark like Mulluvila– Kochupalam road, Kariavattom–Thripadapuram road, TCS Hostel road and railway station road. But the project still remains on paper.

The most vulnerable is the Kochupalam road. Technopark employees have reported a number of incidents along this narrow stretch which is dimly lit. This is the busiest stretch in the area after the roads near Technopark main gate and rear gate. Police presence here is negligible or absent. The police patrolling jeep rarely visits this area. Earlier, several crimes including chain-snatching took place here.

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Tags: Technopark Kerala Police