KOCHI: The City Police Women's Cell was shifted to the temple town of  Tripunithura in 2012 after much hue and cry, with women activists claiming the shift from the city would make the cell less accessible to women and children.The cell, housed in the ground floor, functions in a building owned by the Cell itself. However, seven years later, the Cell is being shifted to a space at the Revenue Tower in Ernakulam, much to the chagrin of the residents.

"The cell falls under the jurisdiction of the City Commissioner who has decided to shift it to the city. The present building contains all the required facilities and was inaugurated by the then Home Mininister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Since its operation in 2012, a lot of cases have been registered, counselled and solved," said Sathy M C, SI. 

The Cell, primarily for women and children, resolves family disputes and visit colonies to help sort problems. "A lot of elderly women visit the cell and express their complaints and concerns, sometimes without a petition, even they are helped. It's not just a women's police station, rather a centre which maintains a client-friendly environment.

Currently, there are 19 people associated with the cell," he said. Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Association (TRURA) convener V C Jayendran said a battalion from Thrissur which will be brought to the Hill Palace requires a space for which the Cell will be shifted. Complaints haven been given, including to the Chief Minister.

However, police officers cite another reason to bring the centre under the umbrella of the City Police Office. "That way, whenever complaints and petitions are received, it can be entrusted with the concerned authorities immediately. Else, it is a hassle for women to travel all the way to Tripunithura," said S Surendran, city police commissioner. Currently, the cell caters to families under the Kochi Corporation vicinity, Kumbalam, Udayamperoor, Tripunithura, Maradu, Kalamassery and Thrikkakkara.