A male police officer has been assigned to head an all-women police station in Rohtas district. 

Sunil Kumar, an inspector-rank officer, has been posted as the new station house officer (SHO) of the police station in Dehri-on-Sone. He replaced Sweta Swaraj.

An official order, issued by the Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) M.S. 

Dhillon on November 22, promoted Sunil to take charge of the police station on Wednesday. 

The posting of a male officer as the station house officer (SHO) of a woman police station has raised many eyebrows. “The superintendent’s office issued the order in gross violation of the police headquarters’ directive. According to the directive, under no circumstances can a male officer be posted as the SHO of a woman police station,” said an inspector from another police station.

The Rohtas SP, however, had a different take. “I have posted Sunil as the in-charge of the woman police station to accelerate the disposal of pending cases. He has been posted there with a specific task,” Dhillon told The Telegraph over phone on Wednesday.

An officer posted at the woman police station revealed that 35 cases were pending for investigation. 

The deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Shahabad range, Mohammad Rahman, said the Rohtas SP had sought approval for the transfers and cited staff crunch as the reason for the posting.