Udupi: Following the direction from the state government, Udupi district's lone women police station is shifted from Kundapur to Udupi in spite of strong opposition.
Superintendent of Police Annamalai told Deccan Herald that the transfer of the location has taken place about 20 days ago, as the women police station in the district should be located at the district head quarters. "Each district can have only one women police station as per government decree. In case any other women police station is allocated to the district, it will be in Kundapur for Udupi district. The women police station will take up the cases registered for the offences under Children Act 1960, Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956, Central Act 1961, and the offences U/s 304 (B), 312 to 318, 341 to 348, 354, 357, 358, 363 to 373, 376 to 376 (D) and 493 to 498 (A) of the Penal Code 1860, which are committed against women or as the case may be children," he explained.
Injustice to Kundapur, says woman advocate
Advocate and women's activist Shyamala Bhandari says Kundapur is a highly sensitive area and the shifting of the women police station from Kundapur is total injustice. "A larger number of crimes against women is reported in Kundapur as compared to the other two taluks in the district. A women police station exclusively in Kundapur is necessary," she opined.
In response, the superintendent concurred that there is demand for a second women police station in the district. "However, the government should take a call on the issue," he insisted.
The superintendent added that, currently, the women police station is working on the first floor of Udupi town police station. "The strength of the women police station functioning in the district comprises of one PSI-level ranking woman officer, assisted by two ASIs, seven HCs and 21 PCs. The areas covered under the women police station in Udupi is Malpe, Udupi, Heeriyadka and Manipal," he noted.
"There is no concept that the women police station set up in the particular area should be covering the entire district. There is, however, a provision wherein we have the power to shift the cases concerning legal jurisdiction to the women police station. The facility of the automatic registration of the cases is possible," said Annamalai.
"Yet again, the station now functioning in Udupi has some additional powers - unlike the earlier police station located at Kundapur, which was a mere receiver of the cases registered in other police stations. This police women station, meant exclusively for women, also has authority to register cases against offences committed on women. Independent FIR can be registered here," said the superintendent.
He added that the average number of cases registered in women police station varies every month. "The number of cases registered is around six, from its installation in urban limits. Of the six cases that are registered in the police station, one is registered under Immoral Trafficking (prevention) Act and remaining five are registered under IPC section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty). The transfer of cases is not reported in the newly functioning police station," he said.