CHANDIGARH (TIP): Punjab government announced a slew of measures, including lodging of gender-related cases at the complainants’ residences instead of police stations, to effectively combat crimes against women and children. It was decided that no complainant of gender-related cases would be called at police stations in future and the complainant would be examined at her residence by the police accompanied by a lady police official that too in the presence of her family members. The government has also decided that only gazetted officers not below the rank of DSP will be deputed to be a supervisory officer in investigating gender-related cases.

A dedicated telephone number manned by lady constables will be set up in all police stations to deal with complaints of gender-related crimes so that the complainants could air their grievances without any fear, hesitation or inhibition. The chief minister in a letter to Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court Justice A K Sikri asked him to allocate dedicated courts in all districts across the state to ensure speedy trial of cases involving women and children. He also constituted a four-member committee comprising the advocate general, the principal secretary (home), the DGP and the director prosecution & litigation to recommend stricter laws to deal with the accused involved in such dastardly acts against humanity especially women and children besides swifter procedures to be adopted for speedy prosecution. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 10 days.