Modern India : 30 minutes of fun for a mere Rs 20

Couples pay the measly amount to the beat cops who catch them in the act so they may carry on; With over five cases of 'misbehaving couples' being filed on a daily basis, cops now plan special patrols to book lovebirds making out in the city's 'hot' spots

The city cops appear to be at their wits end as the number of cases of couples misbehaving in dark bylanes, atop cars and in public places in the dead of night hits an all-time high. With over five cases being registered against 'misbehaving couples' on a daily basis and a total of 100 cases in a month, the city cops are finding it difficult to tackle the lovebird issue as well as regular cases.

MiD DAY visited all the hot hook-up spots in the city and listed out five areas with lax security and lighting where the problem has reached a peak. Statistics obtained from various police stations reveal that such instances have risen in five important locations.

"Couples often head to popular parks like the Lal Bagh Botanical Garden and Cubbon Park, or just chose to get it going up dark alleys. During regular night patrolling, we have realised that Residency Road (Behind TNT), Sadashiv Nagar (Opposite the club house) and Koramangala (Opposite Forum, near Monday to Sunday) are the most popular hook up spots," explained a regular night-beat cop.

'Right to love'

The Law and Order cops, whose main task is to maintain peace and to secure the city are now resorting to lifting blankets and shawls off couples making out in parks. "Obscene acts in public are punishable under law. We file cases on grounds of the public nuisance that they create. Most of these couples are either college students or BPO employees fooling around in public places, which could prove to be dangerous for the couple. Sometimes, we escort the couples to their homes and complain to their parents," said Sunil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).

Free to express?

Meanwhile, when this reporter approached a few couples necking in parks, they revealed some shockers. They complained that the cops had no right to curb their 'freedom to express love' and that they would continue to indulge in such acts. "We come here because we like the ambience. What we do in our personal space is our business. The cops have no right to torture us like this," said J Arvind, a techie who was cozying up with his girlfriend at Cubbon Park.

Pay for peace?

Another couple sprawled over a car at Koramangala was rather surprised when questioned about their 'public display of affection'. "We live very close by and this is the only time we get for ourselves. Usually we just pay the beat cop around Rs 20 and he lets us free for half an hour. Other times, we just finish our business and leave the place," claimed H Girish, a software engineer.

Shocked by their response and the increasing number of such cases, the police department has now ordered special patrolling in these areas. "We understand that rooms at hotels and lodges are costly, but we don't feel happy about catching semi-naked couples exploiting public places. There is a time and place to do certain things, and roads are not that place," said Kumar.