Gujarat Police women undercover at Navratri garba in chaniya cholis
This Navratri, Gujarat Police are stepping up festival safety in a creative way: women officers are going undercover at garba events, blending in by wearing traditional chaniya cholis.
Their goal? To quietly watch out for anything suspicious and make sure women, kids, and seniors can enjoy the festivities without worry.
The move has caught attention online, especially after videos of Inspector Nidhi Kalsaria mingling with the crowd went viral.
Inspector Chandrika Aasundra endorses undercover policing
Inspector Chandrika Aasundra, who leads Vadodara's anti-human trafficking unit, is one of the officers going undercover.
She says people act more naturally when they don't realize police are present, making it easier to spot trouble before it starts.
Gujarat Police has seen a rise in women personnel since a 33% reservation for women was introduced in 2014.
Aasundra says, "When you are in uniform, people tend to behave well. But when they cannot recognize us, we can see them for who they are."