Your complaint could possibly even save a life

A CCTV grab of Nooren Mohammad Khalid

A pervert who stalked women in Colaba before he was nabbed last month, was addicted to pornographic clips, some of which were found on his phone, according to police, a front-page report in this paper stated. Cops said that they are struggling to make a watertight case against the accused as many women who have suffered are unwilling to register complaints.

The accused, would stalk women and masturbate at their doorstep and when the women literally fled into their homes, he would lock their flat door from the outside before taking to his heels. Investigators said that he had committed similar offences in his hometown in Uttar Pradesh but most of them went unregistered and in a bid to keep him from running afoul of the law, his family members had sent him to Mumbai.

The police said the pervert actually thought that the women he stalked would invite him into their homes. Now though most of the victims are unwilling to register a case against him After this newspaper highlighted the issue, the Colaba police registered an FIR as an Iranian woman was stalked by him in December.

The police are appealing to women who have been harassed by the accused in past, to come forward and register an FIR so that a water-tight case can be made against him.

It is a sad commentary on our system that victims are not coming out to complain because of fear. They are scared of some kind of repercussions or the ‘rigmarole' or paperwork involved at the police station. Many people are intimidated at the thought of going to a police station itself.

Our authorities need to think and work on this image, connect with the public, offer examples of protection for complainants. Make the system work so that people are confident of justice and emboldened too and aware that they can complain.