‘Dress decently’, West Bengal police advises women, leads to outrage

Kolkata: The Bidhannagar Police in Kolkata sparked outrage with an advisory issued on their website on how to deal with sexual harassment.

Kankar Prasad Barui, the Deputy Commissioner of the Bidhannagar Police, advised women to dress decently, avoid being out late at night and avoid travelling in crowded buses and trains.

The West Bengal Congress unit has demanded that the state government takes strict action against Barui for issuing such a notice.

The bizarre do's and don'ts, posted on the website in a section titled "Tips on how to prevent eve-teasing", are nothing short of what is sounded off by khap panchayats across rural areas in the country.

According to the website, here are the 12 points suggested by the police:

1. Dress decently.

2. Have emergency speed dial numbers in your phone.

3. Self defense.

4. Aware of people around you.

5. Avoid late nights.

6. Carry pepper spray.

7. Be well behaved.

8. Stay in groups.

9. Avoid travelling in crowded bus or train.

10. Avoid going in isolated places

11. Walk in well-lit and frequented areas.

12. Be street smart.