Officers were not to lecture women on their attire or the way they conduct themselves, and not to focus solely on couples sitting in public places such as parks. Hours after a training session, conducted on the day and in which officers were directed to conduct random checks in buses asking women passengers if they were being troubled, and checks at markets, bus stops and outside educational institutions as part of their duties, the newly constituted ‘Shishtachar’ or ‘anti Eve-teasing’ squads of the Delhi Police have started checking incidences of harassing women in public spaces. Other officers being deployed on the ground were directed not to lecture women on their attire or the way they behave, nor were they to arrest couples sitting in public places, such as parks. But, they were told to take suo motu action in cases of harassment. To make this initiative a success, members of the squad should spot the opening and closing time of schools and colleges, go there in plainclothes an...