Posters warn women of acid attacks for wearing jeans

Posters warning of serious consequences like acid attacks if women wore jeans and tops created panic across Ranchi in Jharkhand, India, on Tuesday but police refused to react to the threats and made no arrests.

Written in red ink, the posters by a group calling itself Jharkhand Mukti Sangh were seen at Albert Ekka Chowk, outside the office of the registrar and St John School at around. They were deliberately penned in red ink to give the impression that they were the handiwork of a rebel group, said police. "We are not taking the posters seriously as we feel some miscreants are behind them. But we will investigate," said DGP G S Rath, adding to the insecurity created among the city's women.

"The police should immediately look into the matter and take action. If they are not booked, it will be very difficult for us to move around freely," said a girl student of St Xavier's College. She was furious with the group. "They are behaving like the Taliban. I don't know why they have started this moral policing," she said on condition her identity be kept secret for fear of reprisal.

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The chairperson of the State Women's Commission, Hemlata S Mohan, was shocked. "There is no justification for such posters. We cannot allow the girls to be targeted in this fashion," said Mohan. The posters also warned of violence against job seekers in Jharkhand who are not domiciles of the state. "Outsiders" planning to buy land in the state have also not been spared, just as companies have been warned about the backlash if they displace people. The police said "attacks" and warnings to "outsiders" is nothing new.