Ranchi, May 2: When the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act-2005 was enforced on 26 October, 2006, it was a victory for women, especially for those who were at the forefront of a long struggle that led to the landmark legislation.

But in Jharkhand, the police aren’t making use of this new shield against crime against women.

Even the all-woman police station is yet to book a case under the new law.

Officer in-charge of the all woman police station Aradhana Singh admitted as much when she said that of the four cases registered by women in her police station, none was registered under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act-2005.

“Women don’t have an idea about the law. They come to the police station only when they are victims of sexual harassment — either by a partner or friend or colleague — or are tortured by their husband or in-laws for dowry,” she said.

Women, she added, hardly came to them to book a case under the Act.

“Actually, it will take time to make them (women) aware of the new law,” Singh pointed out.

Surprisingly, at some police stations, the use of the law was discouraged as those manning them felt the law wasn’t needed in the first place.

“When a woman comes to us, we try to solve her problem by threatening the accused with legal consequences. If that doesn’t work, we lodge an FIR,” said an officer seeking anonymity.

Also, most women, he added, were against lodging FIRs. “We, too, don’t force them as we are aware of the adverse impact of legal action on family life,” the officer said.

Activist and tribal rights campaigner Dayamani Barla, however, blamed the police squarely for not putting the new law to good use.

“Police officials do not like to register cases of domestic violence under the Act. That’s because, once a case is registered under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act-2005, it becomes the duty of the police to inform the aggrieved person of several other laws formulated for protecting women, which they do not want to do,” she said.

Archana Sahu, a lawyer in the district civil court handling domestic violence cases and matrimonial disputes, agreed with Barla.

“Officials at police stations ask women to write complaints in the manner they want it to be written. They actually do not want to register a case of domestic violence,” she said.

Sahu said it was the duty of the police to inform a complainant of the help that was available to her as a matter of constitutional right.

“The police have to inform the aggrieved party about family counsellors, legal services authorities and other benefits under the Indian Penal Code,” she added.