Delhi Police Shishtachar Squads Detain Over 1.05 Lakh People in Anti-Harassment Drives
Delhi Police's Shishtachar squads have detained 1,05,630 people during 15,077 drives conducted against street harassment, molestation, and other public offences across Delhi since the initiative was launched in March 2025.
The initiative was modelled after Uttar Pradesh's 'Anti-Romeo' squads following a Bharatiya Janata Party poll promise during the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. In 2025, the squads conducted 10,449 drives and detained 65,615 people. In 2026, squads carried out another 4,628 drives, detaining 40,015 people.
There are currently 30 Shishtachar squads deployed across Delhi. Each squad consists of 11 core personnel: an Inspector, a Sub-Inspector, four women police officers, and five male police officers, supported by personnel from the Special Staff or Anti-Auto Theft Squad for technical assistance. The squads deploy women personnel in plain clothes to identify perpetrators and detain them on the spot.
Operations focus on high-footfall and vulnerable areas, including schools, colleges, shopping malls, public buses, and isolated or poorly lit locations. Squads target men who harass women, make inappropriate remarks, record women without consent, loiter suspiciously, or create public disturbances.
Hari Krishan, an Inspector with the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), said plain-clothes officers board buses for several stops along a route. He noted that men frequently behave inappropriately with the officers, unaware that they are police personnel.
Police officials stated that operations rely on direct observation, tip-offs, ground intelligence, and complaint patterns. A woman official involved in the operations said men who follow or misbehave with plain-clothes officers are detained immediately.
Following detention, most individuals are brought to the local police station where a Daily Diary or General Diary entry is recorded. The individuals are counselled in the presence of their families and released with a warning. Serious offences involving sexual harassment or molestation result in First Information Reports (FIRs) and further legal investigation.
