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Women & Children Safety Initiatives

Women & Children Safety Initiatives

Shakthi Team

A team of all women personnel have been assigned the task of coming to the rescue of women facing eve-teasing and other forms of harassment in public places in the Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. This all-women cop team in Vizianagaram town, Parvathipuram, Gajapathinagaram, Bobbili, Salaru, Kothavalasa and Garividi in Vizianagaram district consists of 35 young women personnel and is called ‘Shakthi Team’.

The Shakthi teams work from morning to night (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.). The officials are in direct contact with the police control rooms. They attend to the complaints received through the helpline services such as ‘Dial 100’ and 1090. The team members reach out to the victims as quickly as possible.

Salient features

  • The ‘Shakthi’ team can be identified with their navy blue uniform.
  • The vehicles are equipped with VHF sets, man-pack, tabs for GPS tracking facilities and pepper sprays.
  • All the 35 members of the team have undergone special training sessions at PTC Vizianagaram in vehicle driving, mechanism, self-defence and legal knowledge on crime against women.

Disha Act

The Disha Act mandates completion of the investigation into cases of sexual offences within seven working days from the time of record, and the trial must be concluded within 14 working days from the date of filing the charge-sheet. The appeal against the sentence passed under the new law has to be disposed of within six months.

It envisages the completion of investigation in 7 days and trial in 14 working days, where there is adequate conclusive evidence, and reducing total judgment time to 21 days from existing 4 months. The Act also prescribes, death penalty for rape crimes where there is adequate conclusive evidence, and this provision is given by amending Section 376 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.

In cases of harassment of women through social/digital media, the Act states 2 years’ imprisonment for first conviction and 4 years for second as well as subsequent convictions. For this purpose, a new Section 354 E will be added in IPC, 1860.

It also prescribes life imprisonment for other sexual offences against children and for this purpose includes Section 354 F and 354 G in IPC.

The Andhra Pradesh government will now establish, operate and maintain a register in electronic form, to be called ‘Women & Children Offenders Registry’. This registry will be made public and will also be available to country’s law enforcement agencies.

The state government will also establish exclusive special courts in each district to ensure speedy trial. These courts will exclusively deal with cases of offences against women and children including rape, sexual harassment, acid attackssocial media harassment of women, stalking, voyeurism  and all cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Moreover, the government will also appoint a special public prosecutor for each exclusive special court.

The government will constitute special police teams at district level to be called District Special Police Team. It will be headed by DSP for investigation of offences related to women and children.

Disha App

Disha app, developed by the technical services division of the Andhra Pradesh police, sends an alert to the Disha control room when a woman or girl in distress just shakes the mobile phone which contains the Disha App. The app also provides another way of calling for help - they can also press a button on the phone, but in emergency situations if that is not possible, the victim can send an alert to the police by simply shaking phone five times. The personnel at Disha control room in turn will alert the police available near the spot. Police will rush to the spot using GPS-equipped vehicles and assist the person in trouble or anticipating trouble.

Click here to download the Disha app.

Last Modified : 6/12/2021



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