Excerpts from a conversation with Patil on Friday evening

Now that the accused have got bail, what does the government intend to do?

Though the accused are out on bail, we’ll keep them in custody till the identification parade is completed. I have instructed the officials concerned to file an appeal against the bail tomorrow. They have been asked to complete the formalities as soon as possible for the purpose.

What is the government planning to do to prevent such incidents in future?

We want Section 354 of the IPC dealing with molestation (outraging the modesty of a woman) to be made non-bailable. The state cabinet has already taken a decision two months ago to urge the Central government to amend the section. The issue is with our legal department. We also want the punishment to be increased as a deterrent.

Do you think that Mumbai has become unsafe for women?

No. Why don’t you look at the other side? Lakhs of people were on the streets on December 31 and there was just one incident. At the Gateway of India (where a molestation had taken place a year ago), we had posted more police personnel than we do for a bomb alert. You can’t generalize on the basis of one single incident.

What was the purpose behind today’s meeting with senior police officials?

Today’s meeting was planned more than a week ago. It was a routine periodical meeting. We discussed several things, including the molestation case and how policing could be improved.

Do you think that initially the police delayed the registration of the case by bringing up the issue of jurisdiction of police stations?

The borders of a police station are notified by law which gives powers to the police officials concerned to investigate a case. Borders are important, but there is also a provision that in case of emergencies, any police station can accept a case and then refer it to the police station concerned for further investigation. In this case (of molestation) I think the police officials should have accepted the case promptly without saying that the spot was not in their jurisdiction. But I would also like to point out that there were so many people around when the incident took place, but nobody bothered to intervene.

Is the government thinking of imposing a time limit on celebrations like the New Year?

We’ll study the issue and do the needful. On such occasions—like the new year—policing is becoming difficult. In the past, such celebrations used to be confined to major cities, but now people come out on the streets even in rural areas.