KOLHAPUR: The all-women police teams in the district have registered 8,846 eve-teasing cases till July this year, after intensifying the steps taken in such instances.The all women police teams named ' Nirbhaya Squad ' were set up in August 2016. The Nirbhaya squads were formed on the lines of the 'She Team' operating in Hyderabad to keep a check on crime against women. They keep a watch on eve-teasers outside schools, colleges, offices and public places like markets and bus stops.Superintendent of police Abhinav Deshmukh shared the action taken by the Nirbhaya teams from Kolhapur district after taking a review recently.They were also tasked with reducing the number of eve-teasing, molestation cases. Apart from arresting suspects indulging in eve-teasing and molestation, they also offer counselling and spreading awareness among youths about crime against women. The teams have counselled 15,131 youths and have conducted 155 workshops in the district till July-end this year.Along with taking action against the eve-teasers under various sections of the Bombay Police Act, the team is also taking action under section 354 (molestation) of Indian Penal Code. Till now, the team has registered cases against 9 suspects under this section of IPC.Briefing the teams, Deshmukh asked them to take strict action against eve-teasers and to book them under section 354. "This is the next step of the Nirbhaya squad after two years of regular surveillance and taking mild actions against eve-teasers," an officer said.The teams have been provided with a special dress code and motorcycles to take quick action against the eve-teasers. They are armed with quality cameras to record the actions of eve-teasers and to book them.Six teams have been formed to work in Kolhapur city, Karveer, Ichalkaranji, Jaysingpur Gadhinglaj and Shahuwadi . The teams have set up complaint boxes at various colleges in the district for students to send their complaints about eve-teasers, said an officer from the Nirbhaya team.

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