Sensitivity towards victim key to handling crime cases: DGP

SHIMLA: “Sensitivity towards victim and knowledge of all legal provisions is key to successfully handling of cases pertaining to crime against women”, said DGP S R Mardi while inaugurating the three-days capacity building programme for the women police officers of the state with special focus on crime against women, here today.

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 11

“Sensitivity towards victim and knowledge of all legal provisions is key to successfully handling of cases pertaining to crime against women”, said DGP S R Mardi while inaugurating the three-days capacity building programme for the women police officers of the state with special focus on crime against women, here today.

The Director-General of Police said that Himachal Police had taken several steps to ensure justice to victims of crime against women and women police stations had been set up in 11 out of 12 districts of the state. It has been ensured that women police officers are posted in all police stations.

Stating that courts have also directed that pre-registration counselling can be done before registering an FIR in the cases of matrimonial disputes, Mardi emphasised that empathy and sensitivity towards victims is vital, especially keeping in mind that it takes a lot of courage on part of victim to come forward and report a case in police station.

A study has shown that a victim of domestic violence undergoes a number of assaults before she reports the matter to police, said Mardi who also outlined the provisions to safeguard victims under Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Prof Runa Mehta Thakur from the Department of Law, HP University, emphasised on equality and equity of women while Professor Mamta Mokta from Department of Public Administration, HPU, stressed on the need to resort to proactive policing to avoid culmination of small issues into big crime.

Faculty, Cyber Crime, Central Detective Training Institute, Chandigarh Gurcharan Singh, shared his valuable and wide knowledge with the participants and discussed several case studies from his personal experience to teach mobile forensics and use digital evidence to solve cybercrime.

IG Adminstration, Puneeta Bhardwaj delivered lecture on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and redressal) Act, 2013.

A total of 30 women police officers of different ranks are participating in this training programme. The aim of programme is to ensure proper implementation of all legislations made to protect the rights of the women. The programme is being organised by HP Police in collaboration with the National Commission of Women (NCW).