Odisha Police Covid cell calls 750 women to enquire abuse

BHUBANESWAR: Commissionerate Police’s COVID-19 women cell has got in touch with 750 women who had previously been subjected to domestic violence. So far, seven of them have reported abuse during the lockdown period. In a bid to check crime against women during the lockdown, the Twin City Police has formed the special cell which is manned by two inspectors - Mahila police station IIC Banita Moharana and Rashmita Jena of Bhubaneswar DCP office.

Besides, it has designated a woman nodal officer in each police station of the Capital City to take immediate action on receiving a complaint. The cell with the help of Maadhyam, women’s support centre of the police, collected details of domestic violence complaints at police stations between 2018 and 2020. Humara Bachpan Trust is assisting Maadhyam in contacting the women who had lodged complaints in the past. 

“Any woman wanting to lodge a complaint can contact the officers over police helpline 100 and numbers of police stations which are available on the Commissionerate Police website instead of visiting a police station. The two designated inspectors and nodal officers will collect the complaints from the victims’ houses, launch investigation and register cases,” said Additional CP Anup Kumar Sahoo. In one case, the cell contacted a 35-year-old woman who had earlier lodged a domestic violence complaint against her husband with Mahila police here to enquire her well-being.

She lives under Saheed Nagar police limits. “The woman is a native of Jajpur district and was at her hometown when contacted. She had come to Bhubaneswar for her treatment,” said Maadhyam’s counsellor Anima Mishra. However, the woman’s husband and one of his friends, also her neighbour, reportedly harassed her on April 18 after she returned. The woman’s neighbour has been asked to give an undertaking stating that he will not harass the woman in the future. Her husband could not be contacted.
In another case, the officials contacted a 62-year-old woman who, in the past, had approached Airfield police alleging that her son and daughter-in-law were forcing her to leave the house and stay at an old age home. The officials have asked the nodal officer of Airfield police station to look into the matter.