Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has expressed concern over the spike in incidents of violence, harassment and molestation of women since the COVID-19 lockdown was enforced.
"Some men who are indulging in such acts against women mistakenly assume the police are too busy enforcing the lockdown to take action. But nothing could be further from the truth," he said.
"I have instructed the police to invoke the strongest punitive charges and take strict action against such men," Deshmukh said.
He also expressed concern over the rising instances of domestic violence against women.
"We have strong laws in place to take this on and I have let it known that any tardiness in bringing such culprits to book will not be tolerated," he added.
He also advised men to ensure that their actions and words do not harm a woman's dignity or respect. "This is a state which takes pride in Savitribai Phule's legacy. Women should and will be safe here," he added.
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