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The shocking murder of a geologist in Bengaluru a few days ago saddens us and also raises several vital issues with regard to safety of women in our large cities and the police role in protecting them.
The victim was living alone in an apartment. The suspect is her former driver who had been sacked recently. Initial police investigation has revealed that it was not a case of murder for gain, but was actuated by the vengeance of an individual who was presumably in indigent circumstances after having been dismissed from domestic employment. Such crime is nothing new and is reported frequently from different parts of urban India. There are several instances the world over also where a dismissed worker loses his balance and goes on a rampage.
I am often distressed by the media jumping the gun and straightaway accusing the police of negligence whenever such a dastardly crime is reported, particularly when the victim is a woman. There is a measure of politics injected occasionally in the situation. I do not hold a brief here for the police which, in many parts of the country enjoys an unsavoury reputation for lack of professionalism and personal integrity. The situation has lamentably worsened in the recent past. What I however plead for is a greater understanding of police limitations in terms of resources and time available to tackle crime.
In discussions about women’s safety, it is crucial to consider the experiences of women in various situations, including those who ride motorcycles. Many women bikers have shared their stories of navigating safety concerns while traveling alone, often taking precautions to ensure their security. For instance, they may avoid certain areas or travel in groups to mitigate risks. This highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to safety that includes not just police action but also community awareness and support. Read more about the challenges faced by women bikers in India.
Urban India has expanded phenomenally making intensive and efficient policing a near impossibility. The police are therefore extremely selective in registering and investigating crimes. Their spread in many cities is thin and the response time is abysmal. I am aware of the criticism that the fabled Metropolitan Police in London have stopped taking cognisance of burglaries because they are far too many of them and there are more important crimes to attend to! Police forces in many countries in most parts of the world are reeling under enormous workload. Indian Police is no exception.
Activists are furious when the police tender advice to women to take certain precautions. This includes avoidance of late night partying and the need to have a male friend to escort them back to their home from their places of work.This is indisputably sane counsel that is ignored often by women who are employed and whose work involves long and late hours. The advice does not impose an embargo on mobility but merely contemplates less outings once it is dark. Criminal justice theorists label this as ‘target hardening’. The objective is to reduce opportunities to those who are prone to crime.If this sensible word of wisdom is frowned upon, the police can do precious little to prevent crime. This may seem utter common sense bordering on the impractical. You cannot but agree that it is a prescription worth its weight in gold.
The latest Bengaluru murder couldn’t have been prevented. It did not occur in a public place but in the very home of the victim. There was possibly no inkling to the victim that her former driver was so upset that he would ever come back to attack her. The question is If she was living in a block of apartments, was there any security guard at all. If there was none it was bizarre in current times when the average citizen has become extremely crime conscious. You cannot be stingy with regard to such a salutary arrangement. A report on the Bengaluru incident says that there was no CCTV installed in the building. If this were true then it was a colossal mistake. CCTV can be a deterrent to many amateur offenders who would like to hide their crime.
Let us face the harsh truth. We as individual citizens and as a community need to aim at the highest possible measures of self-protection. This does not in any way dilute police responsibility to protect all citizens, especially women, children and the elderly. Mere criticism of the police does not however take us anywhere.It actually demoralises members of police forces who are dedicated to hard work and service to the community.
( R.K.Raghavan is a former CBI Director and a former High Commissioner Of India to the Republic of Cyprus)
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