Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Romeo Squads were formed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure women's safety in the state in 2017.
However, with the rising cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault, the squads have done little to check crimes against women in the state.
The anti-romeo squads were also landed in soup when videos of them harassing young couples went viral on social media.?
According to an RTI filed by India Today, since 2017, the UP's anti-romeo squads have arrested 14,454 people.?
The UP-Director General of Police headquarters said, "Between 22.03.2017 and 30.11.2020, 14,454 people have been arrested."
These squads were formed in all districts to stop eve-teasing, indecency, vulgar display, or comments against women and teenagers.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2017, there were 153 cases of crimes against women every day.?
The number has only increased since then.
But in 2019, the figure stood at 164. Rape cases in UP in 2017 stood at 13 per day, this went down to 8 every day in 2019.
India reported 4,05,861 cases of crimes against women in 2019 and Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 59,853 such incidents, according to the annual National Crime Record Bureau¡¯s ¡°Crime in India¡± 2019 report.
Uttar Pradesh also had the highest number of crimes against girl children under the POCSO Act with 7,444 cases, followed by Maharashtra (6,402) and Madhya Pradesh (6,053).