Caught in the act Mumbai billboard snaps shut on child abuse offenders

MUMBAI: Mumbai commuters got more than just traffic for company this week, they got a stark reminder that the law is watching. In a city where billboards usually sell dreams, one hoarding on the Santacruz–Chembur Link Road (SCLR) has delivered a jolt of reality with a message that lands like a warning shot: “Kisi bhi bacche ko galat tareeke se chhua toh #POCSOPakadLega.”

At a time when conversations around child safety desperately need amplification, Laqshya Media Group, in collaboration with child protection non-profit Arpan, has transformed one of Mumbai’s busiest corridors into a bold stage for social accountability. As part of Child Safety Week and Arpan’s seventh-edition campaign under the banner #POCSOPakadLega, the agencies installed a giant handcuff-themed billboard not a visual gimmick, but a towering symbol of the consequences awaiting child sexual abuse offenders.

The location was chosen with precision. SCLR connects the Western and Eastern Express Highways and registers over one lakh impressions daily, making it one of the city’s most strategic stretches for mass visibility and long dwell time. For thousands of passing motorists, the message becomes unmissable, urgent, and impossible to scroll past.

The installation itself is a feat of fabrication: an oversized, movable handcuff motif engineered to sit securely on the roadside without obstructing traffic. Behind the scenes, it required weeks of structural planning, permissions, and safety checks all to ensure that the campaign brought maximum impact with zero disruption.

Adding emotional heft to the visual was the presence of Vidya Balan, one of India’s most acclaimed actors and Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador whose image featured across hoardings and digital collateral, lending credibility and gravitas to the cause.

“At a time when posters aren’t enough, we wanted a real-world activation,” said Laqshya Media Group director & CEO Atul Shrivastava. “By turning SCLR into a platform for #POCSOPakadLega, we aimed to make every commuter a witness to this message. Child safety is everyone’s responsibility and offenders will face the law.”

For Arpan, the campaign is part of a long-running effort to dismantle silence around child sexual abuse and bring conversations into public spaces. “Now in its 7th year, Child Safety Week continues to break taboo and encourage communities to speak out,” said Arpan founder & CEO Pooja Taparia. “With its impactful OOH presence, the campaign reached the masses exactly as we intended. Laqshya’s partnership has been crucial in amplifying that reach.”

Laqshya Media Group’s execution underscores a growing trend in out-of-home advertising: turning city infrastructure into vessels of social messaging. Instead of passive visuals, the handcuff activation converts public space into public responsibility, a reminder that awareness isn’t just seen; it is felt.

As the campaign’s BTS video continues to circulate online, the installation stands guard over SCLR, delivering its message repeatedly, relentlessly, and with the full force of the law behind it.