The Pune City Police have arrested an IT professional on charges of harassing a woman colleague, after she sought help on the ‘BuddyCop’ WhatsApp group set up by police. Police have identified the suspect as Kishore Ramdas Auti (30), a resident of Vishaldeep Society in Chandan Nagar. The woman had lodged a complaint with the Chandan Nagar police station. Police said that the complainant is a 20-year-old woman working with an IT company in Kharadi area. Auti is a customer service executive in the same company. About two months ago, Auti allegedly misbehaved with the complainant. After she complained against him to the company authorities, they issued a strict warning to him in writing. According to the complainant, Auti continued to harass her by making objectionable gestures in front of her. On Friday, she posted a message on the ‘BuddyCop’ WhatsApp group, seeking help from the police, after which Sub-Inspector Sandip Salunkhe contacted her. After she told police about the alleged harassment, Auti was arrested under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla had recently launched ‘BuddyCop’, a WhatsApp group, after two women working in the IT sector — Antara Das of Capgemini and Rasila Raju O P of Infosys — were brutally killed in two separate incidents. As part of this system, some police personnel are assigned to a group of about 50 working women; they can contact these cops during an emergency through phone calls, WhatsApp and e-mails. Each group has a senior police inspector, a sub-inspector and a constable. As of now, the ‘BuddyCop’ system is operational at Chandan Nagar, Hadapsar, Hinjewadi and Yerawada police stations, where most of Pune’s IT companies are located. For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App now

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