Trichy cops don role of counsellors, help solve marital discord

TRICHY: Efforts by the Trichy range police to check domestic violence against women during the lockdown have yielded results as it has led to reunion of some separated couples apart from compromises and solving problems.
While the objective of the plan was mainly to save such women from domestic violence, it also gave an opportunity to reunite 15 couples.
The All women police stations (AWPS) in Lalgudi and Musiri in the district have reunited two and one couples respectively. AWPS in Pudukottai reunited three couples, while AWPS Karur and Kulithalai reunited seven and two couples respectively.
“Yes, in some cases the lockdown helped separated couples reflect upon their mistakes and reunite,” said DIG V Balakrishnan.
Instead of ignoring the unauthentic messages of domestic violence fuelled by the lockdown, Trichy range police consisting of Trichy rural, Karur, Pudukottai, Perambalur and Ariyalur chalked out a plan to verify whether innocent women were really subjected to harassment.
Under the scheme, launched on April 14 by the DIG, the police followed up on 14,930 complaints of domestic violence from 2017 in the five districts to get to know their status. Police officers from 15 AWPS in the five districts would call up the victims and ask them if they are facing any trouble.
The data shows that the police contacted 13,587 complainants over the phone and met some of them directly till May 8.
In some cases, suspicions of harassments turned true. Some women even faced harassments from husbands and in-laws over financial issues. On finding the complaints genuine in 11 cases, the police gave a strong dressing down to husband and in-laws.
The police also played the role of advisors. In some cases, women raked up some issues about the husband and in-law. In 51 cases, identifying such issues as trivial, police advised the women to adjust, which led to compromise of both parties.
Some poor women also made use of the calls from the police to get their groceries. As many as 21 families were provided with such items with the help of good Samaritans.
To be extra careful to ensure that their calls should not trigger any fresh trouble in the life of the women, they camouflaged their enquiry as if creating awareness on Covid-19.