Rishiraj Singh, the Kerala excise commissioner, has set a time limit for the amount of time a man can stare at a woman and be considered for a sexual harassment case.
"A case can be charged against a man who annoyingly stares continually at a woman for 14 seconds," Singh was quoted by the Hindu. He also observed that 'not a single such case has been registered so far in Kerala'. The IPS officer made the comment at a state-level student empowerment programme organised in Kochi.
The statement has irked those in authority with Kerala Sports Minister E.P. Jayarajan expressing his displeasure. The minister said the statement was in bad taste and that it would be brought to the notice of the excise minister.
The commissioner also called upon women to be proactive in reporting crimes and also following up on the reports. He suggested pepper spray as an effective method of self-defence. He asked them to learn martial arts to protect themselves.
Rishiraj Singh is not new controversy. In the past, while serving as the state's transport commissioner, he was known for his toughness and proactiveness in catching offenders.
