Kashmir Police form special women police squads to curbs street crimes against women in Kashmir

New Delhi, February 28

In a strong step to stop the street crimes against women in Kashmir, the Kashmir Police have formed women police squad with special police vans to keep eagle eyes on the miscreants in Kashmir. This is  for the first time an all women police squads have been specially formed in Kashmir Police to curb cimes against women in Kashmir. 

DIG Sujit Kumar Singh who supervises the Central Kashmir Zone took the onus to start women squads to ensure crimes against women on the streets are stopped immediately. 

The recent case of acid attack on a woman in Kashmir left the police jolted. The girl was leaving for home for her business unit in Wantpora area, when a man poured acid over her severely injuring her eyes and face. The girls in Kashmir who usually feel safe on the streets due to its demography and cultural practices suddenly felt a fear of attacks on the road. 

Speaking with BW PoliceWorld, DIG Central Kashmir Range, Sujit Kumar Singh said, “The crimes against women are less in J&K where society has a protective attitude towards women here. Though women in Jammu frequent out freely more compared to Kashmir, the women in Kashmir are also progressive and can safely go out in market areas, restaurants and other place. Yet, after observing the recent acid attack and other molestation incident, we felt as our own responsibility to start dedicated women squads”. 

The Kashmir Police’s women squads have specially designed mobile vans with wireless facility with one section of women police attached to these squads. The women police in the squad are armed and trained into dealing with eve teasing, molestation and attacks on women on the road. 

Besides a male driver on these women squad vans, the other officials in the mobile vans would all women personnel. 

DIG Singh said, “There was another incident of molestation which I witnessed where a girl coming out of the coaching institute was suddenly molested by two bike borne men. My team and I followed them on a long chase but they took advantage of the smaller lanes and fled. After that incident, I decided that we need a strategy and discussed with the team that we must introduce women squads”. 

The Kashmir Police under DIG Singh and SSP Rakesh Balwal decided to start these dedicated women squads that will carry out surveillance outside schools, colleges, coaching institutes, market areas and those areas where women frequent more. 

DIG Singh added, “We already have women police stations that deal with crimes against women in terms of body offences, domestic violence, human trafficking and more. There are helplines numbers too. However, when a sudden crimes occurs on the street, the time taken for a woman to raise and alarm and police control room van to reach takes long. A squad and their van on the road will give quick response and disposal to that emergency”. 

Initially, the Kashmir Police have started two mobile vans for the women squads however later the women police will patrol on bikes in many pockets of Kashmir to ensure every targeted area is monitored. 

The Kashmir Police has also started a special helpline number 9596770601 to report crimes where the response to the calls would be given immediately. 

The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report of 2020 shows a total of 3405 cases of crimes against women reported in J&K. The body offences cases reported were dowry deaths 9, abetment to suicide 24, 775 cases of kidnapping and abduction and 456 cases of kidnapping for marriage, 247 cases of rape and 10 cases of attempted rape, 1766 cases of assault/attempt to outrage modesty, 16 cases of cybercrime against women, 195 cases of POCSO (Protection of children from and sexual offences) Act including 152 cases of child rape. 

The crime graph however reduced since the onset of pandemic in 2020 where the crimes did not reach the police stations due to the lockdown and prohibitory orders on citizens in the cities and districts. 

The Kashmir Police added that the cases of rapes against women area negligent in the state as compared to other states where body offences against women (rape, assault, murder, kidnapping, molestation, abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, etc.) are high. 

Besides many other factors, the demography of J&K and the culture of the religious committees bringing in a solution to the crimes against women besides other issues of disputes and fights, the reporting of crime at the police stations is also less. 

The women squads have started their surveillance and patrol in their designated areas. The effort of Kashmir Police to strengthen the safety measures against women is being lauded by the citizens.