Police commissioner Anuj Sharma on Saturday instructed all police stations to show “zero tolerance” against any crime against women by providing prompt response to any complaint and issued helpline numbers where women in distress could call in case of an emergency.
The message came on a day the nation was shaken by reports of the rape and murder of a woman in Hyderabad. Calcutta also witnessed the alleged sexual harassment of two minors at Kalighat on Friday. The city police arrested a 14-year-old in the Kalighat case on Saturday, taking the arrest count to three.
Sources said police were seeking legal opinion if the case was fit to move the Juvenile Justice Board for charging the minor under major sections of rape applicable only for accused who have attained the age of 18.
A few weeks ago, the city police had also moved the Juvenile Justice Board to grant them permission to treat a 17-year-old accused of gang-rape under sections of the Indian Penal Code. The minor was allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a woman who had stepped out of a home at night and was allegedly subjected to torture by a taxi driver and the 17-year-old, who was called to the spot by the driver.
A senior officer in Lalbazar said such incidents (involving minors as accused) were being taken up very seriously.
Speaking to the Metro, Sharma said: “We are already very conscious about safety of women in the city of Calcutta. Calcutta police have time and again requested women to contact us in case of any emergency. Also an SOP regarding action to be taken in case of a complaint by any lady is in existence and circulated to all police stations. We have again sensitised all officers in charge to this issue. We have taken up projects like ‘Respect Women’ and ‘Tejashwini’ to sensitise women and make them self reliant. We follow a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ in this regard and strong legal action will be initiated against the perpetrators.”
Sharma issued the helpline numbers – 100, 1090, 1091 and 112 — for women in distress.
Earlier in the day, he had passed on the message to his officers to follow the existing SOP to react in time, to not restrict their actions by jurisdictions and to be very strict against the perpetrators.
In the Calcutta police’s official WhatsApp group, Sharma wrote: “In the backdrop of a sensational incident of crime against woman in Hyderabad I would request all DCs/ACs/OCs to sensitize the officer and men under their command accordingly. Quick response to any complaint regarding any offence against women is expected. Strong legal action in all such cases should be initiated without a second thought.”
He further wrote: “SOPs in regards to action to be taken in such incidents is already present in PSs. It should be strictly adhered to. SOP in connection of taking action by a policemen/PS even though incident may have occurred outside his jurisdiction is already in place and should be strongly followed. Duty Officers/AROs/Beat Officers/Patrol Parties to be sensitised also. We will follow a ‘zero tolerance ‘policy in this regards.”
Officers of the rank of assistant commissioners instructed police stations under their jurisdiction to be specially cautions at night to ensure there are no cases of refusal if anyone comes to lodge a complaint at night.
