Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Anti-dowry cell DSPs redeployed

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI JAN. 20. With the Government entrusting All-Women Police Stations with the task of handling all crimes against women, instead of dowry-related complaints alone in the past, the Tamil Nadu Government has redeployed Deputy Superintendents of Police (Anti-Dowry Cells) and the process has been completed. Following the transfer of officers to other places, DSPs of the respective sub-divisions have been made in-charge of the AWPS.

A few years ago, the State Government posted officers as DSPs (Anti-Dowry Cells) in almost all revenue districts and they had the AWPS under their jurisdiction. The idea behind the posting was to ensure a better supervision by a senior level officer of the women police stations, which were headed by inspectors and were handling complaints of dowry harassment.

In course of time, the police stations had to handle cases pertaining to eve-teasing, broken families, child rights, child-trafficking, child abuse and problem of urban children.

Taking into consideration the role played by women police personnel, the State Government announced that an AWPS would be started in each of the nearly 185 police sub-divisions in the State. Meanwhile, nearly 15 women DSPs were directly appointed through the State Public Service Commission. The ultimate plan of the Government is to have a team of women police personnel in each of the 1,217 regular police stations to encourage better interface between women and the police.

At present there are 108 AWPS and plans are afoot to start 40 more soon, a senior police officer told The Hindu.

Incidentally, the shifting of DSPs to other units has led to an argument over the performance of women police personnel. One version is that they have performed well as they could appreciate the problems faced by women better.

It is for this reason that the Government decided to start more AWPS. Men DSPs (Anti-Dowry Cells) are a "stumbling block" in discharging their duties and responsibilities, goes the argument.

The DSPs, however, opine that instances of women personnel harassing women complainants and taking action against men without proper enquiry are not wanting.

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