DoT announces women helpline number '167'

NEW DELHI: Admist nationwide uproar over brutal gang-rape of a paramedic student, the Telecom Ministry today announced a three-digit women helpline number '167'.

"For helping women in distress, Delhi Chief Minister requested (Telecom Minister) Kapil Sibal to allot a three digit phone number.

"Though DoT has limited resource in respect of three-digit numbers, yet within two hours of the request, a three-digit number '167' has been allotted for Chief Minister's helpline," a statement from the Department of Telecom said.

This is the first three-digit number to have been allotted in two years.

Protests across the country are being seen demanding speedy justice to the accused in the Delhi gangrape case, where a 23-year-old para-medical student from Dehradun was alleged raped on Sunday night in a moving bus here.