More than seven months have passed since the Supreme Court passed directives to curb eve-teasing but the victims — women subjected to stalking, harassment and teasing in the capital daily — are totally unaware about them.

 

Students not safe

Victim: 23-year-old, resident of Boring Road

Date of incident: April 2013

Incident: I have to attend three tuition classes on Boring Road and Kankerbagh. I commute by auto. A boy began stalking me from near the railway station to my Rajendra Nagar road number 2 hostel in another auto. One day, he proposed me to a date. I started shouting but the road was deserted. His friends pushed me against a wall and the boy began misbehaving. I was forced to accept his proposal but fixed the date for the next day. I informed my father. He came the next day and told me to shift to a new hostel.

Crime & probable punishment: Stalking. Minimum conviction can lead to imprisonment for three years, term of five years for second or subsequent conviction

 

Workplace danger

Victim: 32-year-old, resident of Bailey Road

Date of incident: May 2013

Incident: When my male office colleagues came to know about my engagement, one of them started talking to me about sex, honeymoon and married life. I asked him not to, but he didn’t stop. So I complained to my boss, who warned him with dismissal. One day I was walking down the stairs alone, when I saw my colleague smoking there. He suddenly pulled me towards him and touched my private parts, while continuously abusing me. When I warned him that I would lodge a complaint, he pinched me hard and let me go. I took a week’s holiday. The day I rejoined, I saw my male colleagues laughing at me. On asking my female colleagues, they told me that the man had discussed the incident with my male colleagues, including my boss. I quit the job.

Crime & probable punishment: Physical contact, advances and explicit sexual overtures. Punishable with three years in jail and fine or both

 

Assault at home

Victim: 14-year-old Patliputra Colony resident

Date of incident: May 2013

Incident: I am a Class IX student of a co-educational school. Hooligans of my school area passed lewd comments at me. I complained to the school administration and they lodged a police complaint. Their comments stopped. But they began following my bus. They would stalk me till my Rajendra Nagar home. The school refused to help me this time. One day, I was alone at home. On hearing knocks on the door, I opened it and those boys barged in. I rushed out calling for help. My neighbours came. Boys of my colony started teasing me. My parents decided to leave the colony.

Crime & probable punishment: Stalking, sexual harassment. Minimum conviction can lead to three years in jail, term of five years for second or subsequent conviction

 

Risky washrooms

Victim: 21-year-old, resident of Boring Road

Date of incident: April 2013

Incident: I used to work in a boutique as a designer which was run in the outhouse of an apartment. There was a common washroom for men and women. One day, I found two tailors watching something on a mobile and laughing. After a few days, they started sitting beside me and rubbing my legs and using vulgar words for my body parts. When I told this to another male tailor, he said the duo had installed cameras in the washroom and the trial room and had made video clips of mine. When I complained to the owner, she said: “Yahan kam karna hai toh aise hi rehna hoga. (If you have to remain here, you have to work in these conditions).” After a week, a boy came to me and asked me to spend a few hours with him for money. When I abused him, he slapped me. I got to know that he was the owner’s son. I quit the job.

Crime & probable punishment: Voyeurism. First conviction can invite a prison term of a year that can be extended to three years. Culprit also liable to pay fine. Three to seven years in jail and/or payment of fine for second or subsequent conviction.