File Photo of female police women standing in attention. (Associated Press)
Hoping to provide a better police environment for women, Haryana Police will launch all-women police stations in all 21 districts of the state on August 28, on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, the Hindu festival symbolising brother-sister bond.
"The step promises an environment conducive to fearless reporting and sensitive investigation of crimes against women by only women police officers manning one women police station in every district," Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) YP Singhal told the media in Chandigarh today.
"The all-women staff in each of these 21 police stations has been fully trained and legally empowered to exercise powers under the Criminal Procedure Code," Mr Singhal said.
"The women police stations would facilitate such an environment to the women victims where they could get their complaints lodged freely without any hesitation," he said.
Mr Singhal said the women police stations would investigate various crimes against women such as stalking, dowry death, foeticide, molestation, sexual harassment, disrobing, voyeurism, abduction, elopement, kidnapping, rape, dowry harassment, sodomy, illegal second marriage, abetment to suicide and child marriage (in case of female child).
Cases of immoral trafficking, dowry, and under the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, Protection of Woman against Domestic Violence Act, the Information Technology Act (if the offence is committed against women), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and other laws will also be tackled.
"Each women police station will have a minimum strength of 38-40 police personnel, including one inspector (station house officer), two sub inspectors, three assistant sub inspectors, four head constables and 20 constables, besides supporting staff of 8-10 male police officials for assistance of the SHO for conducting raids, producing the accused in courts, sentry duty and other selected essential duties."
Staff for duties like kitchen, gardening, sweeping and other services would also be all women, the police chief said.
Union ministers, parliament members, Haryana government ministers and legislators will inaugurate the women police stations on August 28.
"Each women police station would have the jurisdiction over the entire district. The complainants, however, would have the liberty to report and get the cases registered either in the local police station or in the women police station," the police chief said.
Each police station would have one mediation centre which would undertake matrimonial disputes and an office of protection-cum-prohibition officer which would undertake dowry-cum-domestic violence cases.
Twenty-five women inspectors have been imparted special training about the functioning of SHO at the Police Academy, Madhuban in Karnal.
All 35 Mahila PCRs would work under the overall control of the women police stations.
Haryana Police has also set up 'anti eve-teasing units' which will identify areas where anti-social elements are present, especially near the gate of colleges, schools, shopping malls, bus stands, hospitals, hostels and recreational centres.