STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Law and Justice, Abdul Haq on Friday claimed that 11,091 cases related to crime against women and children have been registered during the last three years, for which 9,121 persons were arrested and 455 convicted.
He said 121 cases were registered for crime against the juveniles, of which 98 were Challaned in Kashmir province, whileas, in Jammu, 102 cases were registered and 92 Challaned. While replying, on behalf of Home Minister, to a question of Dr. Shehnaz Ganai in the Legislative Council, the minister said that six women police stations have been established in the State, one each in Srinagar, Jammu, Baramulla, Anantnag, Udhampur and Rajouri District.
He said that during the last three years crime against women and children has shown a fluctuating trend which decrease in the year 2014 as compared to the year 2013 and slight increase during the year 2015 as compared to the year 2014. The minister said that the High Court of J and K has designated various Courts presided over by the Additional District Judge as Special Courts for trial of offences relating to the women for the convenience and the speedy justice to the victims and their families at their door steps. The minister further informed that the investigations in the cases relating to crime or atrocities against women are supervised by a senior police officer.
SHOs of Police Stations have been directed to register cases after receiving the complaints regarding the incidents seems cognizable offences against women, he said adding that the government has also issued detailed guidelines relating to missing child, child in need of care and protection, juvenile in conflict with law and trafficked child. Amongst other guidelines, it has been made mandatory that every complaint and information with regard to missing of a child filed/received in a Police Station shall immediately be attended to and a proper First Information Report (FIR) registered in each complaint, he added.
The Minister said that the Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 enacted by the Parliament in the year 2013 is also applicable in the State of J&K. He said all the District Magistrates of the State have been designated as District Officer to exercise powers within their respective jurisdiction as laid down in the Act. The General Administration Department has also established a Women Employee Grievance Cell in the Civil Secretariat, a Commissioner Secretary level officer is officer in-charge of the Cell, he added.
