Punjab cadre’s first IPS officer and first woman officer to join in the rank of DIG in Punjab, Gurpreet Kaur Deo, on Thursday stunned everyone with the shocking revelation that women cops are victims of sexual harassment in the Punjab police.
Deo, posted as IGP Provisional, said even today, the women employees are struggling in the police department, and they are becoming victims of sexual harassment.
The assertions were made during the State-level conference on ‘Role of Women in the Police’ on the International Women’s Day at ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Bhawan which was attended by the police personnel and officials across the State.
She said the world is moving ahead and we should also match our steps with it. “Without giving respect to a woman, no community can move forward,” she said.
In the recent past, cases of sexual exploitation of many women police personnel have been reported in the state, including couple of cases of women cops committing suicide. Complaints of sexual exploitation against the officials have also come to light in the recent past.
Deo said women police employees should not hesitate to approach internal committees if they are facing any kind of harassment from the male officials.
“Punjab DGP Suresh Arora is very much serious about complaints by women employees and he acts swiftly on the complaints to provide justice to the employees,” she said.
On the occasion, Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya (retired), country’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP), was the chief guest. She had served as Uttrakhand police chief.
Bhattacharya, addressing the gathering, said that it was heartening to see that a number of girls have joined the force and hoped that the percentage would be increased more. Such conferences would go a long way in providing a common platform to the women and ensuring their maximum participation in the force, she added.
She said that women police officials should be given equal opportunities in police functioning including investigation, law and order and other crucial duties.
She also hailed the Punjab Police Officials for the holding conferences which focus on women empowerment in the force.