Dressed in plain clothes, ‘Shishtachar’ squad members conducting an awareness drive at a bus stop in south-east Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Alisha Dutta

As dusk fell, Delhi Police constable Renu, 29, stood vigilant outside the Govindpuri metro station in south Delhi. Dressed in plain clothes, just like her colleagues, she blended in with commuters and scanned for incidents of eve-teasing, harassment, and other crimes targeting women. Her attention was soon drawn to a group of e-rickshaw drivers rushing towards commuters exiting the station.

She swiftly intervened, directing the e-rickshaw drivers to maintain a distance from commuters. “Women feel uncomfortable when they’re hounded,” she explained, adding that four e-rickshaw drivers had been detained.

Ms. Renu is a member of the Delhi police’s ‘Shishtachar (discipline/etiquette)’ squads, an initiative aimed at preventing harassment of women and ensuring their safety in public areas.

“When I wear my uniform, men are intimidated, but when I’m in plain clothes, they don’t fear the consequences of harassment. That’s why ‘Shishtachar’ squads are essential — to instil fear that the woman being harassed might be a police officer or have access to one,” she said.

Poll promise

On March 8, Commissioner of Police Sanjay Arora announced the formation of 30 ‘Shishtachar’ squads, comprising male and female officers, to be deployed at crime hotspots in the city. The announcement came a month after the BJP won the Delhi Assembly poll. Establishing squads for women’s safety, similar to the ‘Anti-Romeo Squads’ of Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh, was one of the BJP’s poll promises.

‘Immediate assistance’

After detaining the e-rickshaw drivers, Ms. Renu reassured a group of women commuters, “If you ever feel insecure or uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to call 1091 for immediate assistance. A member of our team will promptly come to your help.”

Rashmi, a fellow squad member, also reassured the women commuters, emphasising that the police guarantee complete confidentiality, protecting the identity of callers.

On the detained e-rickshaw drivers, Ms. Renu said they would either receive a warning or face a fine under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, which stipulates punishment for individuals who fail to comply with or oppose directions from the police.

Aishwarya Sharma, Assistant Commissioner of Police (South-East), said schools, colleges, parks, bus stops, and areas with high footfall have been identified for the squad’s deployment. The police officer said a daily schedule is created for the squad to patrol these areas.

At the Apollo Hospital bus stop, a squad boarded a Delhi Transport Corporation bus to educate commuters about the SOS button feature. An officer said in case of harassment, commuters can report the incident to the bus driver or conductor or press the SOS button, triggering a prompt response from the police. “A police team will then intercept the bus at the nearest stop and take action against the accused,” the officer said.

Creating awareness

In a move to promote safety, a squad visited a public park in Sarita Vihar, south Delhi, and educated women visitors about the Himmat App, which enables them to report any complaints or concerns.

An officer said although the ‘Shishtachar’ squad is still in its early days, it has already detained over 300 people across areas in Delhi since its launch.