Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, April 7: In response to the rising incidents of sexual assaults and harassment in Bengaluru, Karnataka’s Home Minister, G Parameshwara, downplayed the severity of a recent molestation case, stating that “such incidents happen here and there in a big city.” His comments followed a media query about a sexual harassment case that came to light on Sunday.
Parameshwara was addressing concerns regarding an incident on April 4, which involved two women being targeted in the early hours of the morning. The minister remarked, “I have advised the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to remain vigilant every day. Police patrolling must be carried out effectively and in a disciplined manner across all localities of Bengaluru city.”
He continued, “Public attention naturally gets drawn when such incidents are reported. We will not ignore them – the police department is working continuously.” Parameshwara further emphasised, “Police personnel are working day and night, braving extreme weather conditions. That’s why Bengaluru continues to remain peaceful.”
Despite his assurances, the Home Minister made a controversial remark regarding the frequency of such incidents in large cities. “Such incidents happen here and there in such a big city, but we will take appropriate legal action in each case,” he stated.
The minister also mentioned that he had specifically instructed the police to manage the city’s beat system effectively, adding that he had spoken to the Police Commissioner about this again on Monday morning.
The case that triggered these remarks involved a shocking video of two young women walking down a deserted street in a residential locality at around 2 a.m. on April 4. The 17-second video, which went viral on social media on Sunday, shows a tall, well-built man approaching the women from behind.
He pushes one of the women aside before sexually harassing the other, then fleeing the scene. The visibly shaken women can be seen briefly standing still before quickly walking away from the area.
The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Sadduguntepalya police station. A complaint from a local resident led to an FIR being filed, and the police have launched a search for the accused. Authorities are also collecting additional evidence to assist in their investigation.
Local residents have expressed shock over the incident, stating that such occurrences were previously unheard of in their neighbourhood. They pointed to the rise in PG accommodations in the area and called on the police to intensify night patrols to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.
In a separate, equally alarming incident, a young woman was sexually harassed under the Banasawadi police station limits on April 5. The victim, riding her scooter from a friend’s house to her residence around 4:30 a.m., was waylaid by two men on Hennur Main Road near the Indian Petrol Bunk. The men chased her down and sexually harassed her. The woman raised an alarm, and passers-by intervened, but the assailants threatened the bystanders with a knife and managed to flee the scene.
Additionally, on April 3, another disturbing incident was reported from the Mahadevapura police station limits. A young migrant woman from Bihar was kidnapped and raped while searching for food with her brother near a railway station.
These cases add to the growing list of troubling incidents involving women’s safety in Bengaluru, a city that has long been grappling with concerns over crime. In November 2024, a similar incident involving a young woman walking in Ramamurthy Nagar was caught on CCTV, showing a man on a bike inappropriately touching her. The man was arrested within hours of the incident after the victim filed a complaint.
The ongoing reports of such crimes have led to increasing public demand for better safety measures and improved policing, particularly during late-night hours. Residents are calling on the authorities to take stronger action to protect women and ensure that those responsible for such crimes are swiftly brought to justice.