Women’s safety is one of the primary tasks of Police, but it is quite embarrassing for the police department in Haryana that a total of 124 women registered complaints of mental or physical harassment against policemen, at the Haryana State Commission for Women in the last one year.
Questions have been raised on the morality and integrity of some policemen who are dealing with the cases pertaining to women and are allegedly involved in women’s harassment.
A senior administrative officer on condition of anonymity said that there is widespread under reporting of crimes by female victims, especially when it comes to any forms of harassment including sexual violence. Fears of reprisal, social stigma, poor conviction rates and mistreatment by an overwhelmingly male police force are thought to be holding women back. Incidents of Policemen harassing the women at the police station are also discouraging and stringent action should be taken against guilty policemen.
Meanwhile, the figure of crime against women received from the Haryana State Commission for Women revealed that 124 women in various districts of the state had registered complaints against the policemen at the Commission. Out of 124, 21 complaints against police were registered at the commission by women victims of Rohtak district while 13 from Sonipat, 7 from Gurugram, five from Faridabad, six from Palwal, eight from Bhiwani, six from Hissar, two from Ambala, eight from Jind, six from Panipat, four from Kaithal, five from Yamuna Nagar, eight from Karnal and five from Rewari.
Sources in the Commission said that a few months back, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had sent a notice to the Haryana DGP after a video showing a woman being beaten by some Faridabad police personnel went viral on social media. The matter was also brought to the notice of the Haryana police by the State Women Commission, which took strong view of the incident. Two head constables of the Haryana police were suspended and three special police officers terminated from service in the wake of the video going viral.
To provide a ‘friendly environment’ to female victims as well as immediate registration of women’s complaints pertaining to dowry demand, physical and mental cruelty and domestic violence among others and to deal more effectively with such registered complaints and cases, the BJP -led government in Haryana had set up women’s police stations in all districts of the State in 2015.
At that time, police had said that the women police stations are staffed by specially trained female personnel and aim to improve the ability of the police to respond to the unique needs of women survivors. But sources in the police department informed that in most of the Women Police Stations in the state now, male police officers (inspector- or sub-inspector) have been appointed.
Woman Police Station, Panchkula, a male inspector has been appointed along with some other male and female sub-inspectors, head constables and constables.
Haryana State Commission for Women vice-chairperson Preeti Bhardwaj said that the commission is concerned with the rise of crime cases against women in the state. She said 124 women had registered complaints against policemen. Some of the complaints revealed that women got harassed by the male police personal when she had approached the police stations concerned for registering their complaints, while in some complaints, women harassed when policemen called them for questioning or for interrogation of the registered cases.
To sort out such cases, senior police officers were summoned and action against the guilty policemen were recommended, she said, adding the state government had formed women police station in all the districts in order to improve reporting; support to the women victims, counselling among others.
The presence of women officers taking down the report greatly encourages women to come forward and make complaints, as women are more likely to pay attention to the nuances of the issue, and understand the gravity of the case, she said, adding crimes against women have remained consistently high.
Bhardwaj further said that a total of 1472 complaints were received from various districts at the commission in the last year. Out of which 1006 have been disposed off. Moreover, taking serious note of appointment of male policemen in the women police station, the commission had earlier written a letter to Home Secretary and Director General of Police and asked them to appoint woman police officer at all the women police stations of the state. However, no appropriate action has been taken by the authorities concerned so far. One more such letter will be soon sent to DGP Manoj Yadava to ensure woman police officer is appointed there.
According to the vice -chairperson, women feel more comfortable telling us about their problems at women police station and they can talk to us without shame or guilt. The objective of women police station was to ensure safety of women and instill among them a sense of security and confidence. “In a police station where a woman knows she’ll be dealing with all ladies, she is a bit more comfortable, she added.