Fed up of domestic violence, Vimla, a para-teacher and wife of a sub-inspector in Barehanda, committed suicide after killing her five children in 2011. More than a year after her death, the battle for justice is still on. Vanangana, an NGO, conducted a seminar on domestic violence to draw the attention of the public and authorities towards the issue on Monday. The situation is worse for women belonging to families where their perpetrators are a part of the police services, say woman activists.

“The perpetrators (husbands, brothers, sons, father-in law and close relatives) are part of the machinery involved in the registration and follow-up of the case, making it particuwlarly challenging for women,” says Madhvi Kuckreja, a social activist.

The activists have charted a set of recommendations to be considered in the case of women belonging to such families. As per the recommendations, any person who is actively associated with a policeperson charged with domestic violence should not be a part of the procedures of registration or investigation of the case. This would include those under whom the policeman is directly serving, colleagues and those who are under his command.

It also demands setting up of specific guidelines and procedures for enabling women to lodge a complaint, which could include sending a written complaint by post or the setting up of a helpline within the department.

The recommendations suggest that the police department needs to function according to a clearly stated deadline of a maximum of four weeks to issue clearance regarding registration of a domestic violence complaint and inquiry against a police person to ensure the complainant is not under pressure.