KOCHI: The harrowing experience narrated by a 37-year-old woman, a ground handling staff at Kochi airport while returning home from work at night, has brought the focus back on women’s safety. There is no respite from the incidents of harassment despite efforts by authorities to make the district safer for women, it seems.
The woman, hailing from Kurumbakkavu, in Nedumbassery, was travelling on her two-wheeler on Sunday night. When she reached Karakattukunnu around 10.10pm, a motorcycle intercepted her vehicle and the rider attempted to molest her.
The miscreant attempted to attack the woman twice by blocking her two-wheeler with his vehicle. He had been tailing her when she turned her vehicle to Karakkattukunnu road from the National Highway. In the first attempt, as he tried to intercept her vehicle, he couldn’t do so since a car had come from the opposite direction. However, when she slowed down to let the motorcycle go past her, the two-wheeler driven by the accused grazed her hand while overtaking and she lost control of the vehicle. When she shouted at him, he sped away.
The woman complained that though local residents alerted the police, none of the officials turned up. According to her, this was her first such experience. The woman has been working in the 2 pm-10 pm shift at the CIAL for the past five years. She said a police complaint will be lodged.Meanwhile, local residents said these kind of incidents had occurred several times as the police night patrol is ineffective.
Chengamanad police told TNIE that they have not received a complaint in this regard so far and will look into the incident. The officers also suspect that it must have been a chain snatching attempt which the woman must have misconstrued as a molestation bid.
Around 500 cases of crimes against women have been reported within the rural police limits. But the exact figure is not available as the officials have not collected such data due to the Covid-19. As many as 210 cases were reported until March 2020. Of these, 90 were molestation cases, 12 were of eve-teasing, and 23 for rape. Other offences comprised 52 cases.The situation is not different in Kochi city also as 190 cases had been reported in the city during the period. Of these, 63 were molestation cases and 11 were eve-teasing cases. Twenty cases of rape were registered.
Alarming stats
Around 500 cases of crimes against women have been reported within the rural police limits.