Thursday’s incident when a youth shot at a girl and her boyfriend at a Patna restaurant was not an isolated one and has served as a wake up call for policemen.

The police are yet to nab Aamir, who opened fire on Pratima and her friend Sunny. “Aamir hails from Purnea, the cops are working on some leads. He will be nabbed soon,” a police officer at the Gandhi Maidan police station said. The police also want to strengthen women’s helpline services and make girls aware about dangers if they ignore a pestering lover.

On April 27 last year a jilted lover attacked and grievously injured his beloved with a dagger right outside her hostel in Bahadurpur area of Patna City. Her cousin, a BMP jawan with a service revolver, was with her but could not defend her. Residents caught the youth and handed him over to the cops. During interrogation, he said he and the girl were in a relationship but the girl wanted to end the affair, enraging him.

On February 10, 2011, Manisha Devi (23), a national level kabaddi player, was shot dead on the spot by CRPF jawan Yashwant Singh right in front of Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Kadamkuan police station area.

Singh, a jawan of the 123rd battalion of CRPF, shot her with his assault rifle before shooting himself dead too. The jawan loved the woman but she had spurned him.

On October 2009, the daughter of an assistant commissioner of central excise department was shot dead by her boyfriend in Gardanibagh area after the girl rejected him as her family objected to their match.

On October 2011, one Juhi Prasad, daughter of advocate A.N. Prasad, was set on fire along with her boyfriend in Pune by the boy’s ex-girlfriend. Juhi died of burn injuries.

“These are just few of serious cases. The police get at least ten complaints from girls or women who receive threatening or abusive calls every month. Most of these relate to one-sided affairs.Women have also found someone creating their fake accounts on social networking sites and posting objectionable, obscene content on it as a form of revenge,” a police officer said.

Of over 300 murders that took place in Patna last year, over 30 per cent related to rejections in love or illicit relationships. “Many cases don’t reach the police. Either the girls are, too, embarrassed to lodge a complaint or their families, out of social obligations, don’t allow them to,” the cop said.

It was time they revived the hibernating plan, in which cops visit colleges and interact with students.

“The plan is yet to be chalked out properly. The cops will go to women’s colleges and talk to girls, advising them to complain if they sense dangers. Remaining quiet will just boost the confidence of those jilted. Abusive or threatening calls should not be taken lightly

“The women’s police station and the women’s helpline service, too, have been directed not to take such complaints lightly and investigate each of them thoroughly,” he said.