A station house officer (SHO) in eastern Uttar Pradesh has been transferred after she allegedly stopped a girl and her brother at a temple park in Mau district and advised her not to venture out in public places without a "guardian", officials said on Monday.
The act triggered a moral policing row after a purported video of the incident surfaced on social media, even as local police took note of the episode.
During an inspection as part of women's safety awareness drive, the police officer, Manju Singh, posted as SHO of the 'mahila thana', is seen questioning a youth and two girls who had come to visit the Sheetla temple park from the neighbouring Ghazipur district.
Suspecting a relationship between them, the officer asked one of the girls for her father's phone number and spoke to him to verify her identity.
She also questioned the young man accompanying her, initially refusing to accept that he was her brother or a family member. After the phone conversation, it was confirmed that the two were siblings, according to a video circulating online.
The officer is still heard advising the girl not to roam in public places "without a guardian" and telling her father over the phone not to send his children out "without guardians", the video further showed.
The footage triggered criticism across social media platforms, with many accusing the police of overreach and unnecessary moral policing in the name of women's safety.
Mau Superintendent of Police Elamaran G told PTI that the SHO of the 'mahila thana' had been transferred from her post following the incident.
"We are sensitising and counselling all police personnel regarding their behaviour with the public," he added.
Taking cognisance of the matter, Additional Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar said no offence had been committed and cautioned against police personnel giving unwarranted advice or acting beyond their mandate.
He said some policemen tend to assume a "moral duty" and offer unsolicited suggestions, adding that even couples visiting public places cannot be stopped without valid grounds.
"The police will be sensitised across the district. They should not do any work beyond their jurisdiction. A warning will be issued from my office," Kumar said.
A police official said the brother is an adult while the sister is a minor. Another girl -- their cousin -- from Ghazipur, also accompanied them to the park.
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