Loitering aimlessly outside schools, colleges and other public arenas, especially those frequented by young girls may cost young men dearly in Uttar Pradesh. In a directive from the recently-formed Uttar Pradesh government, UP Police have set up 11 ‘anti-Romeo’ squads in Lucknow area to monitor ‘suspicious young men’ and thereby check rising cases of eve-teasing in the state.
Under the latest guidelines, these squads will be empowered to quiz men and even detain them if “they fail to provide to reason their presence in the area.”
The directive is part of a series of measures taken by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to curb rising crime in the state. The idea of anti-Romeo squads was mentioned in the BJP’s election manifesto and was even emphasized by Party President Amit Shah at a recent rally in the state.
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