Uttar Pradesh cops in dupatta row

In yet another instance of violation of women’s modesty, an Uttar Pradesh police official pulled the “dupatta” off two minor girls arrested for snatching a women’s purse in Jhansi, around 300 km from here.

The policeman, identified as Sub-Inspector Jai Prakash Yadav, not only removed their dupattas before a group of mediapersons gathered at the police station, but also identified them by name.The girls, aged around 15 years, were arrested on Thursday as they tried to decamp after snatching the purse of a passer-by, police said.

The duo were lodged at Kotwali police station for the night, which in itself was in violation of the law. According to rule books, the girls should have been sent to a Mahila Police Station instead.
On Friday, Yadav invited the media to the police station to announce the arrests and paraded the girls before the mediapersons.

He was caught on camera forcibly pulling down their dupattas.As local news channels started airing the visuals soon, senior police officials ran for cover. All they did was to promise an investigation into the matter. The girls, however, have been released on bail, according to reports.Barely a few days back, another senior UP police official had courted controversy by hitting an unclaimed body with his boot in Sitapur district, in full public view.