Cops asked to probe cases in sensitive way

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN, CHILDREN

Hyderabad: Former director general of police and chairman of the Indian Police Foundation Prakash Singh on Friday stressed on the need to change the traditional methods of investigating crimes against women.

Speaking at the Stakeholders Consultation on Safety of Women and Children, he said the crimes against women and children should be investigated with a sensitive and compassionate approach.

Hyderabad chapter of the Indian Police Foundation organised the consultation to discuss challenges and barriers faced in fighting crime against women and children. While suggesting measures for improvement in the department across the country, he said there should be a separate cadre in the police department to investigate the crimes against women and children.

Speaking on the occasion, Home Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy thanked the foundation for organising the consultation in Hyderabad. He also said the government had passed orders to recruit 33 per cent women in the police department.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government under the leadership of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was committed towards the protection of women and children, Naini said and added that this aspect was the top priority of the government and SHE teams have been launched in the State for the same purpose, he said.

Director General of Police Anurag Sharma said the Telangana police had been striving to protect and empower women through its various initiatives such as SHE teams and Bharosa – Support Centre for Women and Children.

Bharosa is first of its kind support centre which is working towards establishing best practices in combating Violence Against Women (VAW) and providing support services for women and children, he said. President of the Indian Police Foundation N Ramachandran said the consultation was organised to prepare a standard operating procedure for the police to function across the country.

He expressed confidence that a community- centric SOP will emerge after nation-wide consultations. The Indian Police Foundation had been holding a nation-wide series of stakeholder consultations, for a deeper understanding of the ground level issues faced by the police across the country, to look at the existing policies and practices rigorously and honestly, to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the system, flag the main issues and to help evolve an effective and efficient policy framework to support policy makers and field police officers.

The outcome document that will be prepared at the end of the nation-wide series of consultations, to be held in about 20 cities across the country, will aim at constructing a credible draft policy framework and suggest an effective action plan for better safety and security of women and children in the country.

The project also aims to identify areas for further research and documentation as well as a roadmap for training, sensitisation, capacity building and empowering of field police personnel. City police commissioner M Mahendar Reddy, additional commissioner of police Swati Lakra and others were also present.