In the wake of increasing violence, harassment against women during lockdown, Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra, expressed concern over the issue. In view of this situation, minister warned that those targeting women using the lockdown ruse would be punished. He said that these men were mistaken in assuming that the cops were too busy enforcing the lockdown to take action in cases of violence against women.
He had instructed the Police Department to invoke the strongest punitive charges and take strict action against men indulging in acts of violence against, and harassment and molestation of, women. The Home Minister of Maharashtra also expressed deep concern over rising instances of domestic violence against women. Maharashtra has strong laws to deal with perpetrators of such cases. Deshmukh said that he had already told the cops that any laxity in bringing culprits of domestic violence to book would not be tolerated. At the same time, Deshmukh asked men to ensure that their actions and words did no harm to any woman’s dignity.