MADURAI: At a time when the women's wing of state police is celebrating its golden jubilee, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that after the establishment of All Women Police Stations (AWPS) in 1992, these units are marred with corruption and have been reduced to shambles.
A Bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri, while closing a contempt petition, said the court directions to the Home Department is intended to fine-tune an already existing system to its original alacrity.
The court, in the petition, expressed displeasure in the manner in which an accused was arrested in a dowry harassment case by Vimala, an inspector of Thilagar Thidal AWPS in Madurai. The court said it exhibited police arrogance to the extent of violating the directions of the Supreme Court of India and warned the contemnor not to repeat such abominable conduct in the discharge of her duties.
In addition to that, the court directed the DGP to implement a series of directions in all the 222 AWPS across the state. The directions are: To equip the AWPS with a special cell for women for the purpose of ventilating the grievances of adolescent and young women facing harassment in the society, a child friendly corner, a room to interrogate juvenile suspects, to ensure revival of family counselling unit in the station with a qualified family counsellor, one social worker, one female lawyer, a doctor and a female psychologist among others. Such an exercise shall be carried out across the state as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations, the court said.