Allahabad HC asks UP to ensure guidelines are followed by anti-Romeo squad

The Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that guidelines are followed by anti-Romeo squads and action is taken as per the law. A Lucknow bench of Justices Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Sanjay Harkauli gave the order on a PIL filed by a lawyer questioning the drive in UP. It alleged that the police was not following the guidelines during the drive, aimed at checking eveteasing, and was harassing couples.

The petitioner also raised the issue of shortage of police personnel and sought directions for proper guidelines regarding the drive. On behalf of the state government, chief standing counsel Mansoor Ahmad contended that proper guidelines were issued by the DGP on March 22 and 25. The court disposed of the petition with the direction to the state government to increase police personnel in the state as per police-public ratio, the petitioner said. The anti-Romeo squads of UP police were formed after the Yogi Aditynath government came to power this month. It was one of the poll promises of BJP.