Who will create awareness on sexual offences in Wadala?

Govt dept says responsibility lies elsewhere

Even as the jurisdiction of the Wadala TT police station has witnessed a spurt in the number of rapes and unnatural sex cases, especially among minors, the women and child development department has shrugged the responsibility of creating the awareness needed to combat sexual offences among the masses, as requested by the police.

The jurisdiction of the Wadala TT police extends from Priyadarshini near Everard Nagar in Sion to Shanti Nagar in Wadala. This jurisdiction has witnessed a large number of sexual offences registered over the last year. Most of the cases have occurred in the isolated areas, which are currently under development.

In the past six months, the Wadala TT police came across five cases of either rape and unnatural sex or attempt for the same in which five minors were victimised. Following the same, Suhas Garud, senior police inspector of the police station, sent out four letters to the women and child development department in Mantralaya asking them to come to the area and conduct social awareness programmes to help bring down the recent rise in the crimes against women and children.

“We had sent out letters to the women and child development department asking them to come to the area and conduct a few social awareness programmes among the people... However, there has been no response from their end,” said Garud.

When FPJ contacted M B Hajari, the deputy secretary of the women and child development department, he said it wasn’t the department’s responsibility to conduct social awareness programmes.