Kill The Rapist, Or Stay At Home: AP Police

In response to the increase in rape cases and other sexual crimes in the recent times, the police all over the state have been suggesting various ways of dealing with the "situation".

While the Chittoor SP opines that women should stay at home during the night for their own safety, the Guntur police department has been distributing sachets of chilli powder to young girls in the district, instructing them to use the powder on assailants.

"Police patrolling is on 24X7, but we cannot expect the police to shadow every single girl who decides to step out at night. If we are informed of a dangerous situation, we will act immediately. However, the society should act with common sense for its own satefy," said the Chittoor district SP.

Meanwhile, the Guntur district SP is taking another tack entirely, by emphasising on a woman's ability to be able to protect herself. Chilli powder and martial arts is the mantra they're spreading.

With the police neatly shifting the responsibility of staying safe onto the shoulders of the people, members of various women's activist groups across the state have been expressing just what they think the police should do with their "advice".

Insisting that the onus is on the police to make the streets a safe place for everyone, and not just for women, they mocked at the impracticality of a woman being solely dependent on herself for her security, questioning the police about what exactly they did with their time, if not the same thing that they are expecting women to do for themselves.

"So, someone decides to attack a girl on her way home. How is it practical for the girl to have to reach into her bag, open the packet, and then get the opportunity to throw the powder at the assailant-to-be?" railed a woman belonging to Guntur district.

Amidst all this hoopla, it is heartening to see that DGP V Dinesh Reddy is being a bit more practical about solutions. "When under the threat of imminent raped or murder, you can kill the offender, and we will write off the case," assured Reddy at a meeting that was recently held at Madhapur to as part of a women's rights sensitisation programme.