#TalkingStalking Ep 1: Cops Turned Her Away, She Turned To Us

In the first episode of our Chuppi Todo series, Richa Anirudh and ex-DGP of UP reach out to a survivor.

Join us as we break the silence around stalking. 

(Photo Courtesy: The Quint) 

The Quint and Quint NEON are running a campaign called #TalkingStalking, which aims to encourage men and women to break the silence around stalking by sharing their experiences.

In our Chuppi Todo series, we will reach out to those who have faced stalking ordeals, and understand their cases. Law enforcement officials and mental health experts have joined us in this initiative, where stalking victims can get redressal and closure. The identity of these survivors will be kept anonymous.

In the first episode of this series, RJ Richa Anirudh and Vikram Singh, from director general of UP police, talk to a woman whose ex-boyfriend has been stalking and threatening her for months.

Anamika’s Ordeal

Within months of getting into a relationship, Anamika* realised that he boyfriend was abusive. She broke up with him a number of times, but he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He began stalking her in order to seek revenge for being rejected.

When she approached the police, they refused to file her case because the stalker was not in the same city as the survivor. They cited “multi jurisdiction” as a problem and asked her to leave without filing her complaint.

As a result, stalking grew to the extend that her family started getting threatening calls and messages.

Read Anamika’s full story — Manic Manipulations of a Stalker and Mumbai Cops Who Don’t Care

The Quint Steps In

Ex-DGP UP Vikram Singh helped Anamika come out of the trauma. He made her aware of the legal rights she has in the case and explained the concept of zero FIR.

No police person can refuse to file an FIR or question you on the timing of filing one. It is their duty and responsibility to help a person in distress. Secondly, if the accused is in one city and the survivor is in another, the Police can file a ‘zero FIR’ and transfer the case to the concerned police station.

Vikram Singh

The Quint independently approached the concerned state police and the women’s cell to understand the delay in helping Anamika.

After our collective efforts, Ananmika says her stalker has stopped harassing her. The calls have gone down drastically and the physical stalking has also subsided.

Make Stalking a Non-Bailable Offence

Do you know that stalking is a bailable offence under the Indian criminal law? This allows stalkers to get bail without serious scrutiny, often putting victims at risk of facing acid attacks, rapes and sometimes even murder.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, NCRB:

• There has been a 33 percent rise in stalking cases. 4,699 cases were reported in 2014 and 6,266 cases were reported in 2015
• 26 percent of the cases ended in conviction in 2015
• 35 percent of the cases ended in conviction in 2014
• In 2015, 83 percent of the accused were given bail before the investigation ended
• In 2014, 85 percent of the accused were given bail before the investigation ended
• 60 percent of all accused were men between 18-30 years. 2 percent were juveniles between 16-18 years

This is why The Quint has launched a petition along with Varnika Kundu and Dr Shashi Tharoor to appeal Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and make stalking a non-bailable offence. Sign our petition here.

We’re Listening

If you are being stalked or know someone who is being stalked, do reach out to us. You can email us at [e-mail] or drop in a message at [phone]. You can also call every Wednesday between 5pm-6pm to speak directly with Richa Anirudh.

Let’s break this silence together.

Camera: Athar Rather and Abhay Sharma
Editor: Rahul Sanpui
Producers: Rahul Sanpui and Garvita Khybri