Ahmedabad Police Deny Role in Posters Warning Women Against Parties, Launch Probe Against NGO

Ahmedabad: Several controversial banners recently appeared on public roads in Ahmedabad, advising women not to attend parties or visit isolated places alone, warning of possible rape or gang rape.

The banners, which claimed to be sponsored by the city’s traffic police, carried messages like “Do not attend late-night parties, you could be raped or gang raped,” and “Do not go with your friend to dark, isolated areas, what if she is raped or gang raped?” These quickly drew widespread criticism.

However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West) Neeta Desai clarified today that the traffic police had only approved posters focused on road safety, not messages about women’s safety. She explained that the NGO Satarkta Group had created and displayed these controversial banners without the department’s knowledge or consent.

Once the issue came to light, Ahmedabad police promptly removed all the banners and registered a preliminary complaint (janvajog) against Satarkta Group. Police have launched an investigation, and formal criminal charges may follow depending on the findings.

Addressing the media on the matter, Zone 1 DCP Safin Hasan said the police acted swiftly and seized around 10 such banners from four to five different locations across the city. He clarified that while the NGO had initially sought permission for traffic awareness messaging, the approval was strictly limited to standard topics like wearing helmets or following traffic rules—not content targeting women’s safety or victim-blaming messages.

“The NGO installed these controversial banners without informing or taking permission from any traffic police officer,” Hasan stated. “The traffic police have made it clear they have nothing to do with these banners.”

Police are now investigating why the NGO put up these banners, whether it obtained the necessary permissions from the traffic police or the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and how such banners were displayed without official approval. Based on the investigation’s outcome, criminal charges may be filed against Satarkta Group. DeshGujarat