Women police stations in 3 more dists

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 17

With women safety and crime against women emerging as a big challenge, the government has sanctioned three more women police stations for Hamirpur, Solan and Chamba districts, covering all 11 non-tribal districts.

Initially, women police stations were opened in Shimla, Dharamsala and Mandi. In the second phase, Sirmaur, Baddi, Bilaspur, Una and Kullu were covered. (There are 13 police districts in the state, Baddi being the additional district). The cases of crime against women are very less in Kinnaur and Lahaul & Spiti.

Now three more women police stations have been sanctioned for Hamirpur, Solan and Chamba districts and the requisite staff have also been sanctioned, DGP SR Mardi said. Each police station would have 17 women police personnel — one inspector, one sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors, three head constables and 10 constables — and four men constables. As many as 63 posts had been sanctioned for new women police stations, he added.

“It was observed that in matrimonial disputes, women were not keen on going to police stations as they were uncomfortable in disclosing the nitty-gritty of the case in front of the male staff. To help them, we started the deployment of women constables in reporting rooms in all police posts and stations,” Mardi said.

The next step was opening the women cell in every district with investigation powers and then came women police stations. Now, emergency response system would be launched soon to provide immediate relief to the complainant.

The police stations were also entrusted with the task of providing pre-registration counselling in matrimonial disputes, dowry, domestic violence, adultery, rape and molestation cases, instilling confidence among women.

The results were good, Mardi said, adding that 10-15 attempts were made to resolve cases through mutual consent. Once the husband went behind bars, the possibility of reaching a compromise became negligible. Of the 20 complaints that a women police station received, 19 were settled through counselling.

About 95 per cent of nearly 1,500 complaints received in the Gudiya helpline had been redressed so far.

Though the crime rate in Himachal was lower as compared to the neighbouring states, some cases of heinous crime against women like the Kotkhai minor rape and murder case had sullied the image of the state and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had maintained that there would be zero tolerance on crime against women and directed to provide remedy in 48 hours, he said. There has been an increase in cases of molestation and improper behaviour with girls. However, the cases of domestic violence are quite high as compared to other cases.

Focus will be on...

• Providing pre-registration counselling in matrimonial disputes, dowry, domestic violence, adultery, rape and molestation cases and instilling confidence among women.
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• Initially, women police stations were opened in Shimla, Dharamsala and Mandi. In the second phase, Sirmaur, Baddi, Bilaspur, Una and Kullu were covered. 

Cases registered from 2012 to 2017

Dowry death 11

Cruelty to women 1,534

Molestation 2,507

Rape 1,463