Women in Hyderabad Confront Rising Public Harassment, Secure Justice
Sexual harassment in public spaces and during daily commutes has become so pervasive that many women historically chose silent retreat, often due to a lack of immediate support from bystanders. However, a significant shift is underway. Increasingly, women are not only standing up for themselves but also for others, actively pursuing legal action to hold perpetrators accountable. This report details several recent cases from Hyderabad where victims broke their silence, leading to arrests and convictions.
Case Studies: From Airport Cabs to Crowded Markets
Horror in a Cab to the Airport: A 35-year-old woman, en route to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for an early morning flight to Delhi via a ride-hailing app, experienced severe distress. On the PVNR Expressway, she noticed the driver behaving inappropriately, repeatedly moving his hand toward his private parts and engaging in obscene acts while driving. Feeling frightened and unsafe, she immediately called her husband for support. Upon arrival, she raised an alarm, confronted the driver, and reported the incident to CISF personnel. With her flight departure imminent, she was advised to board. The SHE Team later took up the case, resulting in the driver's arrest. A Nampally court sentenced him to five days imprisonment.
Catcalling in Crowded Bazaars: A degree student from a government university described catcalling as a daily ordeal, particularly in the Koti and Sultan Bazar areas. She and her classmates routinely face derogatory, sexually suggestive comments from shopkeepers, vendors, and loiterers. Despite crowded surroundings, assistance is rarely offered. "We just walk away quietly because we feel there is no point arguing," she explained, highlighting a common feeling of helplessness and the absence of clear recourse.
Invasive Recording at Bus Stops: A BA student reported that while waiting at bus stops with friends, men often secretly record them under the guise of making video calls or shooting random clips. This intrusion of privacy causes extreme discomfort, sometimes exacerbated when harassers show the recordings to others during calls. Even in crowded stops, bystanders seldom intervene. This silence, she noted, emboldens offenders: "They know no one will question them, so they keep doing it again."
Groping on Public Buses: A 19-year-old student, who relies on public transport for her college commute, described bus travel as a nightmare due to frequent touching and groping. She shared that many friends face similar experiences, with men sometimes pushing through groups of women at doors to touch them inappropriately. The frequency has led to a grim normalization: "It happens so often that we have started treating it as something we just have to tolerate."
Harassment Across Transport Modes: Metro, Bikes, and Autos
Flasher in Metro Lift: A woman in her late 20s was shocked when a youngster flashed and groped women inside a metro lift. Though she walked away, the station controller at Nampally Metro Station noticed the behavior and filed a complaint. CCTV footage from December 16, 2025, confirmed the incident, revealing the accused as a repeat offender at other stations. Despite no direct complaints from victims, metro authorities alerted the Women Safety Wing (WSW), which traced and handed him to Nampally police for arrest.
Vulgar Remarks During Bike Ride: A 23-year-old woman booked a bike ride via an app from Alwal. During the journey, the driver used vulgar language and asked for her photographs. Shocked, she immediately disembarked and confronted him on the road, receiving little help from onlookers. She later approached the police, leading to the accused being booked and caught.
Stalking via UPI Payment: A software professional took a shared auto rickshaw from Madhapur to IKEA, paying the driver via UPI around 8:30 PM. Hours later, she began receiving calls from an unknown number, which persisted for days. She reported to the police, who traced the calls to the auto driver. He admitted to obtaining her number through the UPI service and was arrested.
Phone Harassment Post-Ride: Another 23-year-old woman booked a bike ride from Nanakramguda to Kukatpally through an aggregator. The rider misbehaved during the trip and later harassed her with repeated phone calls, having accessed her number via the booking. Kukatpally police arrested the accused on January 23.
Direct Assaults and Police Action
Assault While Boarding Bus: On February 3, a woman waiting at a bus stop for her workplace commute noticed a man loitering and observing her closely. As she boarded the bus, he suddenly attacked her, indulged in obscene physical behavior, and fled. She later filed a complaint with the SHE Teams, who verified CCTV footage, identified the accused, traced him, and effected an arrest.
Auto Driver Flashing at Students: A student from a Government Degree Women's College reported an auto driver exposing himself and masturbating in front of her and her friends. He continued this behavior, making it difficult for them to pass through the area, with no bystanders intervening. After a complaint, police conducted a decoy operation at a bus stop, catching the accused in the act. He was apprehended, questioned, and a case was registered.
These cases underscore a critical trend: while public harassment remains rampant, systemic responses are strengthening. The involvement of specialized units like SHE Teams and WSW, coupled with victims' courage to report, is gradually shifting the landscape toward accountability and safety.
