On the backdrop of the Delhi gang-rape tragedy that outraged the nation, Andhra Pradesh Director-General of Police V Dinesh Reddy has said a woman can kill a person if he tries to rape or assault her.

“When there is a threat that you are going to get raped and killed, you can kill the offender. We will be lenient with you in such cases,” Reddy told women employees of the IT industry at an interactive meeting organised by the police at Madhapur, the city’s IT hub, as part of an initiative to sensitise the people about the rights of women.

Hyderabad is one of the major IT hubs in the country, employing over two lakh people. The safety of women employees has become a concern in the wake of growing instances of sexual assaults.  The DGP asserted that the city police would give top priority to the safety of women professionals working in the IT hubs of the city. “We have installed 47 CCTV cameras covering all the vital areas. We are going to install 2,500 such cameras in both Cyberabad and Hyderabad, which will cover the entire city,” Reddy said.

An exclusive call centre will be set up for the benefit of women staff using cabs and auto-rickshaws to commute from office to home.