NEW DELHI: Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday issued notices to Deputy Commissioners of Police in all the 15 districts in the city over “huge pendency” of investigation in domestic violence cases.
As per the data available with the Commission, of the 15,698 cases of domestic violence, in which FIRs have been registered, charge sheets have been filed in “only” 5,573 cases.
“Over 64.5 per cent such cases are pending investigation with police, of which, several hundred have been pending for last five years. The data showing severe pendency validates the complaints of women that cases of domestic violence do not figure in the priority list of the police,” the commission said in a press statement.
The notice ticks off the police “for creating a general impression that majority of the cases of Sections 498A and 406 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) are false and are filed with the intention to threaten or blackmail the in-laws”.
“If this is so, why has no case under 182 IPC been registered so far against any complainant for filing false cases?” it questioned.
Seeking redressal for “genuine” victims of domestic violence, the Commission has directed the police to provide details of cases under the two sections, where investigation is pending since 2012 in each district, with reasons for non-filing of charge sheet or the final report.
The commission’s ‘Mahila Suraksha Yatra’ covered areas like Peeragarhi, Paschim Vihar, Khayala, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri and Dabri on Saturday. In Paschim Vihar and Khyala, Maliwal received complaints by women groups about the “rising” incidents of domestic violence and dowry. “A common problem they said they all faced was that there was no support from the police in such cases,” the DCW said.
“In Khayala, women’s groups came out to meet Ms Maliwal with their ‘belans (rolling pins)’ in hand. They were inspired by the sandal march and hockey march that the Commission had taken out earlier during this Padyatra,” it added.
Yatra
Maliwal started the ‘Mahila Suraksha Yatra’ on February 24 and it is expected to go on till March 8. During each phase, she and her team visit areas of the city and look into problems women face and try to create awareness of safety for women and girls in the city