More women cops, police stations to check crime against women: DGP

DGP BS Sandhu said the state police force is currently short of 15,000 personnel

To check rising crime against women in the state, the Haryana police is set to add more women to its ranks and add more women police stations, including three in Gurgaon, Haryana director general of police (DGP) BS Sandhu said on Sunday.

Haryana DGP BS Sandhu and Mewat SP Nazneen Bhasin at the inauguration of the STF office in Gurgaon. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Sandhu said there is shortage of about 15,000 personnel in the state police force and that this manpower shortage affects policing. He added the state government was concerned with rising number of crimes against women, and efforts are being made to handle the situation.

“At present, women constitute 10% of the police force. We aim to increase this number to 30%. This year, starting February, 1,000 women constables and 66 women sub-inspectors will be recruited,” Sandhu said after inaugurating the newly formed Special Task Force (STF) of the state police at the Police Training Centre in Bhondsi on Sunday.

The STF has been revived to crack down on organised crime across Haryana with special focus on Gurgaon and national capital regions (NCR) areas of the state. “The newly constituted STF will check organised crime and it will focus on eliminating gangsters, and the drug and liquor mafia,” he said.

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The STF is being headed by inspector general of police Saurabh Singh and operates under the supervision of SSP Sathish Balan.

Talking about the relaunch of Operation Durga, Sandhu added that special instructions have been issued to district police chiefs to check rising crime against women and make efforts to improve police presence on the roads.

“Officials have been directed to investigate crimes against women in speedy manner. They have been told to present challan (charges sheet) within 30 days of the FIR being filed and ensure the accused is/are punished through fast track courts,” Sandhu said.

Apart from that, a proposal has been sent to the state government to increase punishment in cases of sexual crime where the victim is a minor less than 12 years old.