THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department move to reorganise the state women cell without the consent of the assembly has raised many eyebrows. In an order issued on June 2, State Police Chief Loknath Behera said most of the petitions received in the state women cell are sent to district women cells where enquiry/investigation/counselling is carried out as required.
“Hence there is no requirement of officers for investigation/enquiry in the state women cell,” the order (No E5-63930/2021/PHQ) said.A detailed proposal for the reorganisation of the cell has been sent to the government. The officers currently working there have been temporarily redeployed for better utilisation of manpower till the government issues orders in that regard.
“They will be effectively used for Covid containment duty. The officials attached to the state women cell are repatriated to their parent units with immediate effect. The DySP, women cell, will report before ADGP Crime Branch for further direction,” the order said.According to a senior IPS officer, the move to reorganise the state women cell formed under the recommendation of the Estimate Committee (1991-93) of the Kerala Legislature is a breach of the privileges of the assembly committee.
In its seventh report on the police department, the Estimate Committee had recommended, among other things, that women police cells may be formed in every district to enquire into incidents of atrocities against women and a special cell under a women IPS officer many be formed at the state level for the purpose (Go (Rt) No.2504/94/Home Dated, Thiuruvananthapuram 15/11/94).
The state women cell was formed in 1994 and was inaugurated by former chief minister E K Nayanar in 1996. The state government then upgraded the only post of DySP (woman) in the police department to that of SP (woman) for a period of one year to facilitate the formation of the special women cell. DySP Padmini Amma was then promoted as SP (woman) temporarily under Rule 31 a (1) of the General Rules and posted against the upgraded post.
“So, before being reorganised, the state women cell formed as per the recommendation of the Estimate Committee of the assembly, the nod of the assembly has to be sought,” said a senior officer, on condition of anonymity. The officer termed it a unilateral decision as important policy matters have to be kept in the additional directors general of police (ADsGP) committee meeting, which was not done in this issue.
“It is not cited in the order, which means that this was not discussed in the ADsGP committee. It is mandatory as the committee has been functioning as the apex committee over the decades. The order was issued as per the proposal of the woman SP who currently holds the additional charge of the state women cell,” said the officer.