Union Minister Maneka Gandhi today asked states to take strict action against police officers obstructing investigation or colluding with perpetrators in cases of crimes against women and children, and also sought time-bound completion of investigation in such cases.
She also suggested that forming special cell only for sexual offences or for sexual offences on children could be a significant step towards curbing such crimes.
She also asked the states to retrain their police officers on various aspects of sexual offences particularly those related to the collection and preservation of evidence.
In a letter addressed to the chief ministers of all states and Union Territories, the Women and Child Development Minister asked them to issue instructions to all police officers that utmost priority be given to complete investigation in cases of sexual offences against children as per the timeline of law.
The letter comes amidst nationwide outcry against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and rape of another minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.
"State governments must take strict action against those police officers who are found to be obstructing the investigation or colluding with the perpetrators of such cases.
"A quick and timely professional investigation is the only method in which a potential offender can be deterred but this can be done only by the states as the police department is the state subject," she says in the letter.
"Forming a special cell only for sexual offences or specially for sexual offences on children would be a significant step in this regard," she suggested.
The minister also offered help to state governments in establishing forensic laboratories which can be used for forensic analysis of evidence in the investigation of sexual offences.
The WCD Minister requested states to generate awareness among the children in using e-box set up under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act with child-help line number 1098.
In her letter, the Minister also highlighted that till date 175 one-stop centres for women affected by violence have been set up by the Ministry. One-stop centres are set up to help those women who have no access either to police or medical facilities or are not able to visit a police station in times of distress.
The letter also emphasised that Section 21 of the POCSO Act may be invoked in all cases wherever failure to report or record is noted.
The section states that any officer who fails to report or record the commission of an offence under section 19/20 of the Act is liable for punishment.
The WCD Minister also invited suggestions from state governments on how to deal with crimes against women and children.
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