AGARTALA, Jan 2 (IANS): Tripura has decided to recruit more women police personnel and set up more all-women police stations to curb crimes against women, the state police chief said here Thursday.
"The process of recruiting 300 more women police constables and 50 women police officers is on and will be completed within next month," Tripura Director General of Police C. Balasubramanian told reporters.
"With the new recruits, the percentage of women police personnel would rise to 10 percent of the total security strength in the state," he said.
The state police chief said that currently three all-women police stations are functioning in the state and one more would be started soon.
"Women help desks are operational in all the 68 police stations in the state," he said.
Cases of crimes against women in Tripura are rising. In 2011, 1,503 such cases were registered while the number went up to 1,650 in 2012 and 1,706 in 2013.
"Police have already submitted charge sheets in court in over 93 percent cases. Of the total cases, dowry-related torture and death cases are highest (55 to 60 percent) followed by molestation, rape and outraging modesty," the police chief said.
According to the National Crimes Record Bureau, Tripura ranks second after Assam in the number of crimes against women in northeast India.
Women's organisations believe that low conviction rate, lack of prompt action by police and victims shying from lodging complaints resulted in rise in such crimes.
The police chief said the conviction rate of all types of crime in Tripura is 11.5 percent against the national average of over 38 percent.
Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, thousands of cases were registered in the past few years in Tripura. The state has a population of 3.7 million, of which nearly half are women.
Tripura Police Accountability Commission chairman A.B. Paul earlier said the panel has suggested punitive action against erring policemen in cases of crimes against women.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar recently said that Tripura was in the process of incorporating issues like crime against women and domestic violence in the school curriculum to sensitise students and help develop understanding between boys and girls.
