Husband says she had an affair, wife claims dowry harassment !!
http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/feb92007/district212321200728.asp
Deccan Herald » District » Detailed Story
Women’s police station, but gender-insensitive
From Shruti I L DH News Service Mysore:
Sunaina was summoned to the police station on infidelity charges. Not only was she made to wait for six hours, but also not given an opportunity to defend herself.
Sunaina was summoned to the police station on infidelity charges. Not only was she made to wait for six hours, but also not given an opportunity to defend herself.
Sunaina’s husband had filed a case against her for allegedly having an affair with her brother-in-law. Recalling her travails, she said, “I was asked to divorce my husband and let him off the hook.” This came from none other than a lady SI at the Lashkar Mohalla Women’s Police Station a few years ago.
Sunaina wanted to lodge a complaint of dowry harassment against her husband. “But I was abused and treated like a criminal and booked under a false case.”
When she approached the Police Commissioner, he only said, “Have faith in the system.”
However, Devamma, the incharge SI, said, “We never ask people to adjust in serious offences. When we feel things can be settled through counselling, we say so. If the victim wants to book a case, we do it.”
She, however, said officers need to be patient. “As cases which come here involve families, a lot of people come here. Sometimes, third parties create confusion.Only at such times do we raise our voice.”
Devamma said since she took over, she has ensured no favours are shown. “I have directed there should be no delay in attending to complaints.”
Prabha’s case was no different. The case turned against her due to pressure from higher officials in the police department who were in support of her husband.
Going by these reports, one can’t help wonder whether women’s police stations are serving the purpose for which they were set up. Such stations were expected to encourage women to come out and file complaints against atrocities meted out on them.
It isn’t enough to just have a separate police station for women. What is important is to make the police officers gender sensitive.
“Most of the time, it seems once they (women officers) don the uniform, they are no different from their male counterparts,” says Rati Rao, an activist of Samatha Vedike, a women’s organisation. “They should be made aware of laws related to women, she felt.
Warning
According to Police Commissioner Praveen Sood, it is not just women who are asked to adjust. “A lot of women who come here do not want criminal action to be initiated as offenders are their relatives. They usually want us to warn them.
Given this, we try to make them arrive at a compromise. But in cases of physical abuse or dowry cases, we book cases. There is no question of counselling.”
NGOs can be involved as they understand people’s problems better, says Sumana, an advocate. While Sood feels this is possible, he also stressed the need for NGOs to have a balanced view while dealing with such cases.
Meera Nayak, another Vedike activist, said the police station must be strengthened by appointing a regular officer. “It (police station) should be provided with a better support system, including vehicles and a separate office. They should also operate at the taluk and hobli levels.”
Equipping women’s police station with better facilities is the need of the hour. “Making certain laws more flexible will also help,” feels Sumana. “Laws related to non-cognisable offences can be relaxed. Once a case is filed under it, strict action, including arrest, is initiated. Thus, there is a delay in registering such cases at times,” she says.
The government’s responsibility to reduce incidents of violence against women does not end with the setting up of women’s police stations. It should support the victims by strengthening laws protecting women and by providing them with shelter.
Whether the women’s police station will emerge as a stepping stone to empowerment of women or go down as just another example of paying lip-sympathy to women’s issues is for the state to decide.
(All names have been changed to protect their identities).
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regards, vinayak
My post above is Subject to
—————————-
1. My idea of *self help* which is very essential : http://tinyurl.com/pxcfz
2. Standard disclaimers as in http://tinyurl.com/947u9
3. A short preamble : http://tinyurl.com/hatew
Dowry Law Misuse : http://tinyurl.com/tdkx6 , http://tinyurl.com/v5vp8
Blogs :
More die due to exam failure than due to Dowry !!!
Majority of dowry cases are false: SP
No maintenance for wife who can’t prove cruelty: HC
Unmarried Female on pill, delivers a baby in toilet
Triple Talaq is a Legally valid form of Divorce – Madras HC
A failed marriage is not a crime however…
torture allegations are approx 6 times dowry DEATH FIRs !
Marriage cannot be dissolved at the drop of a hat: HC: Mubai
…. and some case laws …
Ramakrishna v. Priya Ganesan – Custody of Minor child
Irretrievable break down of marriage
vast difference between “could have been”, “must have been” and “has been”.