After a gap of about six years, the city police commissionerate got a women's police station when it was inaugurated by Minister K. Parthasarathy on the premises of office of the assistant commissioner of police (central) on Monday.
A women's police station was in operation in the city till 2002, but was wound up in 2003 in the wake of a custodial death. Since then a women protection cell has been functioning in the office of the commissioner of police, dealing with cases related to women and the crimes committed against them.
Police Commissioner K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, who was present at the inauguration of the station, told reporters that the women protection cell has been dealing with the complaints coming to different police stations about the crimes against women, and based on inquiry, has been registering cases.
“Thanks to the government's recent orders, we now have a police station with full-fledge powers to register the cases,” he said.
He, however, said enough care was being taken to ensure that the women's police station would function strictly in accordance with the law. Alluding to the custodial death of 2002, Mr. Reddy said “mistakes of the past” would not be allowed to be repeated. The police station would function under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (central), while the commissioner would have to be informed about the registering of every case.
“Also, anybody against whom a complaint is made should be summoned to the police station and arrested only after thoroughly preparing the records,” he made clear.
The Commissioner said a separate building will be constructed for the counselling of people involved in the cases against women.
If the work load permits, cases pertaining to inter-State and inter-district crimes will be transferred to the women's police station, he said. The police station is an “all-women” set-up, except for the inspector of police, who is a male officer.
As no woman officer of the rank of inspector is available in the Eluru Range, the Commissioner posted Sai Prasad as the Inspector of Police. Ahmedunnisa will be the Sub-Inspector of Police, leading a pack of two head constables and 10 constables.
Mr. Parthasarathy expressed hope that the women's police station will help resolve the problems of women in an effective manner. The delay in the setting up of the police station was only because of the need to find proper infrastructure, he said.
Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu inaugurated the inspector's chamber, while Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu inaugurated the counselling room. Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar, assistant commissioners of police, several inspectors and sub-inspectors were present.
