Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
For women reluctant to approach a police station, seeking help can begin with a conversation at a Pink Police Booth. In Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, these booths are handling complaints ranging from domestic disputes and husbands’ alcohol-related violence to unwanted calls and messages, harassment and situations in which women need a safe place to wait at night.
At the booths operating under Mission Shakti in the Hazratganj area, women police personnel hear complaints, counsel families and initiate legal action in cases where victims seek it. The centres also serve as a place of refuge for women who arrive in the state capital from other districts and have nowhere safe to stay at night.
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Sub-inspector Sharda Singh, Mission Shakti in-charge at Hazratganj police station, said four Pink Police Booths were operational across her jurisdiction. They have been set up at busy and sensitive locations with significant footfall, she said.
The booths are not limited to receiving complaints. Women who find themselves alone late at night while waiting for a ride or a family member, and feel uncomfortable or unsafe, can enter a booth and wait inside. Women police personnel are deployed round the clock, with two women constables assigned during each shift, Singh said.
Domestic discord features prominently in the complaints received at the booths, particularly cases involving husbands’ alcohol consumption and physical violence, Singh said.
In many such cases, women initially seek intervention rather than immediate legal action. They approach the police asking officers to warn their husbands and counsel them against repeating the behaviour, rather than register a criminal case straight away.
Complaints from college students and working women about unwanted phone calls and messages are also common. Here, too, some complainants initially prefer a warning to the person harassing them, hoping the matter can be resolved without further escalation.
However, the police response depends on the nature of the complaint and the action sought by the woman. In cases involving molestation or serious harassment, where the complainant seeks strict legal action, the police register an FIR and proceed against the accused. In family disputes where a woman wants reconciliation, officers counsel both parties and attempt to resolve the matter.
The presence of women police personnel can also make it easier for complainants to discuss personal issues they may hesitate to raise before male officers.
Hazratganj’s status as a prominent, high-security area means the booths receive visitors not only from the locality but also from different districts across Uttar Pradesh. Women travel to the capital to seek help with their problems, Singh said, and some arrive without anyone available to collect them or arrange accommodation for the night.
In such situations, the Mission Shakti help desk and Pink Police Booths can provide a safe place for them to stay while their concerns are heard. Women personnel remain on duty in both day and night shifts to assist those who approach the centres.
The round-the-clock presence of women officers is intended to make the booths accessible beyond regular working hours, whether a woman needs to report harassment, seek help with a domestic dispute or simply wait in a secure place until assistance arrives.
The complaints handled at the booths reflect the range of situations in which women turn to the police, from seeking intervention in recurring family conflicts to pursuing action against harassment. The centres provide a local point of contact where women can explain their circumstances and discuss the options available to them.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
