HYDERABAD: Suvarna (name changed), a homemaker from the city, has recently approached the SHE Teams (Women Police) with a complaint that she was harassed by a man over phone and the ‘accused’ misbehaved with her several times.
The SHE Teams registered a case against the man and probed the case only to find that the woman lodged the complaint as she had a dispute with him over a piece of land.
The woman was warned by the SHE teams and asked to approach the police, as it was a civil dispute.
This is not an isolated case where the Hyderabad SHE Teams where women are coming up with false complaints.
The officers have expressed their concern over the increasing number of false cases and attempts to misuse the law.
The officers of SHE Teams feel that though the number of cases of eve-teasing have come down, the number of false cases and some women attempting to misuse the law have increased.
In the recent times, the teams received some cases, where women tried to wrongly portray the case and get their work done. The complaints were received, investigated and officials later asked the complainants to approach the law and order police.
In another instance, a young girl lodged a complaint against her old friend, alleging that he tried to threaten her with some private pictures after their breakup.
The woman also complained about misbehaviour by her friend. When police inquired, they found that the complaint was false. The girl was later called to the SHE Teams office, where she confessed to have given false complaint due to pressure from her new boyfriend, who did not want her to be in touch with her old friend.
“Around 20 false complaints have been filed. It is our duty to ensure that innocent persons do not get booked,” said SHE Teams in-charge additional commissioner (crimes & SIT) Swati Lakra.
SHE Teams, set up to ensure women’s safety by curbing eve-teasing at public places, colleges and also to create awareness among women and especially girl students has shown a significant effect, claimed Lakra.