BANGALORE: About 800 young men spent last weekend wondering what had hit them. They were picked up and rapped by police for allegedly loitering in public places and displaying 'suspicious behaviour' with the potential to commit sexual offences . Some of them will have to visit court and even pay a fine.

This drive has upset civil and human rights activists, who are wondering how police could round up youths at random, based on the mere suspicion that they are capable of committing a crime that may never take place. Asked what the criterion was, police officers from the field quipped: "They are vagabonds. We know it when we look at them."

The way the drive was conducted gives an impression that Bangalore police, having failed to conduct a proper investigation in the rape case of a 6-year-old, is on an overdrive to cover up their follies and show that action is being taken. But the force appears unmindful that they are creating an impression of Bangalore becoming a police state.

The rounding up of 800 men also appears illogical to many women's rights activists in the city. Rounding up youths based on suspicion is not a solution and might even be counter-productive, said Donna Fernandes, an activist with Vimochana.

"Any police action must be based on evidence. Young men who are picked on suspicion could end up nursing a grudge against women. They will feel humiliated," she said.

"Picking up men standing on the roads is not a solution to curb crime against women. Police have to act diligently and swiftly when a complaint is lodged, and ensure that justice is delivered. More than police action, we need a change of mindset," says human rights activist Corrine Kumar.

Explaining the operation, a police officer said they rounded up 'vagabonds' based on suspicious behaviour like loitering in public places aimlessly, and staring at women. He claimed that while some of them were found at places frequented by women, there were also instances of many of them staring at women and making lewd gestures.

During an interaction with reporters, city commissioner of police MN Reddi was on Monday told about the case of a youth from Ulsoor who said he was picked up while waiting for his girlfriend. Such complaints of police high-handedness should be taken up with senior officers, who would take corrective measures, Reddi said.

Draconian drive

On Saturday, city police picked up 351 persons on the suspicion that they could pose a threat to women. The next day, the haul stood at 450.

Most of the men were released after being warned. Some of them were asked to appear in court after being booked under section 92(R) of the Karnataka Police Act , which pertains to threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on the streets, with the intent to provoke breach of peace.

