In order to provide safety to women traveling alone in night, the Uttar Pradesh police will escort them to their destination.
The Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh issued an order in wake of the recent increase in the crime against women in the state.
Any unaccompanied woman in the state can call on helpline number 112, the emergency response service of UP police. A Police Response Vehicle (PVR) will come to escort the caller to her destination safely.
The developments came after news of gruesome incidents against women in the state started surfacing rapidly in recent days. Unnao which was in a bad light due to expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar accused of raping a woman, had again triggered controversy after the case of rape victim being set ablaze by five accused in broad daylight on December 5.
The incident was heavily criticised by different sections of society, and the Congress party even called Unnao as the rape capital of Uttar Pradesh.
Read: Uttar Pradesh becoming rape capital of India: Congress on Unnao incident
According to reports, there were 86 rape cases in last 11 months in Unnao itself.
“The service has been started to provide better security to women at night. Any unaccompanied woman in distress, or otherwise, can use this service to reach her destination safely,” Singh said.
According to the order released by DGP, the PRV escorting the women, will necessarily have two women officials, and police chiefs of each districts have been asked to make arrangements for the same.
The order further stated that 10 per cent of PRVs in a district should definitely have women officials so that such PRVs could be sent to escort unaccompanied women.
It was also advised to the district police chiefs to provide necessary training to the women officials.
Last week, the DGP also asked all the private establishments to make necessary arrangements for the woman employees who travel late night from the workplace to their home.