Mahila and Shishu Desk

A number of crimes against women & children are being reported at various Police Stations of the District. The women complainants and victims often hesitate to reveal detailed facts before male Police officers. As a result, the investigating & enquiring officers face a lot of difficulties in investing/inquiring into such cases. The basic purpose of setting up the Mahila & Sisu Desk is to give special emphasis in investigation of Crimes against women & children, make women more comfortable at Mahila & Sisu Desk, protect their privacy and handle all matters related to women & children.

The Officer-In charge of Mahila & Sisu Desk can also be designated as the Juvenile Officer U/s 63(2) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
New officers for Mahila&Sisu Desk are posted different Police Stations of this district. A Special Juvenile Police Unit is hereby re-formed with the officers for the posts noted against each with immediate effect in accordance with section 63 (3) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act-2000 and Rule 49(2) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, Odisha, 2002.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MAHILA AND SISU DESK

  1. If the Complain reveals a Cog. Case the case will be registered, copy of FIR be provided to the complainant free of cost.
  2. If the complain does not reveals any Cog. Case she shall enter the fact in the Station Diary and advise the victim suitably to take other resource available.
  3. The traumatized women victims as well as women and juvenile accused of any offence while at Police shall be segregated from others, and examined and interrogated separately in a separate room of the Police Station with due regard to their privacy and accordance with law.
  4. The woman victims / accused persons shall be dealt with all decency and due regard to their honour and dignity, so that they do not feel harassed at the hands of the Police on the plea of examination or interrogation.
  5. Similarly, the child victims and juveniles in conflict with law shall be taken care of and dealt with sympathy in accordance with provisions of law relating to children.
  6. The traumatized woman victims and children may require counselling and temporary shelter before they are accepted back in the families or otherwise rehabilitated. The Desk Officer of the desk shall refer such cases to the short stay home, destitute home and Children’s Home etc. as the case may be. To facilitate this, such Desk Officer shall maintain a list of family counselling centres, short stay home, Swadhar homes for women and children etc with the name and address of the functionaries as well as their telephone numbers to contact them at the time of need
  7. Several NGOs at the district and state level are working for the cause of women and children. The OIC of the Police Station and Desk Officer should be accessible to such NGOs and coordinate to such efforts to improve the cord of women and children within the legal frame work. To facilitate this, the desk officer shall maintain a list of such NGOs functioning in the PS area and the district, with names, addresses of the functionaries and telephone numbers of contact them as and when necessary
  8. The traumatized women victims and children may require medical attention for their medico-legal examination and treatment. The Desk officer shall maintain a list of lady Doctors available in the PS jurisdictions, sub-division and district headquarters for referring the cases of women and children victims.
  9. Trafficking in woman and children is another major area which the officers and men attached to such Desk will be required to focus their attention. The officers and men attached to the Desk shall collect information regarding trafficking in ‘Women’ and ‘Children’ on false promises of marriage, providing employment etc and their subsequent exploitation, Regular liaison with the NGOs working in the field and people’s representatives, particularly of panchayatiraj institutions will help in collection of such intelligence. On receipt of such intelligence it should be duly verified, and the Desk officer should ensure raids on the lodging houses, hotels, brothels, bars and pubs, dhabas and red light areas by the special Police officers under the I.T.P. Act, 1956, if any and take appropriate legal action against the traffickers. The victims of such trafficking should be handled with due honour and dignity and steps taken for restoring them to their parents/guardians or rehabilitating them through NGOs or their Govt. agencies.
  10. It has been observed that Police officers during interviews to the media allow woman and child victims to be photographed after raids on brothels etc while briefing the media, the Mahila and Sishu Desk personnel should bear in mind that law prohibits revelation of name of victims of offences U/s 376, 376(A), 376(B), 376(C) and 376(D) IPC, and child participants in offences under the I.T.P. Act are often victims of crime. This aspect may be borne in mind while allowing media coverage of such offences.
  11. The Desk officer shall initiate legal action against sale and circulation of obscene literature, photographic materials and indecent representation of women at public places. They shall also identify places frequently by large no. of women and girls either regularly or occasionally during fairs and festivals and take proactive measures by way of patrolling and deployment of woman Police officers to prevent eve-teasing, kidnapping, abduction and molestation etc.

IAHTU

This unit has been started functioning at this Hdqrs, w.e.f. 25.02.2015 , in accordance with Govt. Of Odisha, Home Department Notification No. 46307/ D&A, dtd. 17.12.2014. D.S.P. HRPC. Koraput is assigned to look after the overall functioning of IAHTU till posting of one D.S.P. against the sanctioned post under IAHTU. Besides one Inspector, 1 ASI and 1 constable are attached to this unit for smooth functioning of this unit.

Trafficking in persons, particularly women and children for various purposes such as commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), forced labour, forced marriages, domestic servitude, adoption, begging, public sport etc. is an organized crime that gravely violates basic human rights of victims.The IAHTU aims at prevention and detection of trafficking as well as rescue, rehabilitation of the victims of trafficking.The problem of trafficking in women and children for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation has assumed serious proportion in recent years. Commercial exploitation of women and children takes place in various forms including brothel-based prostitution, sex tourism, entertainment industry and pornography in print and electronic media. In some cases the victims are taken to other states, while in some other cases, the trafficking takes place within the state. After careful consideration, the Government has decided this police for combating trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, including labour exploitation. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional problem encompassing a whole range of economical, social and cultural issues which are varied and complex. Most of the victims are lured with promises of jobs, better career prospects and marriage. Some are inducted forcibly through abduction, poverty and deprivation, secondary status accorded to women in society, prejudice against the girl child, weakening of the family structure, changing public attitudes towards sex and morality, the caste structure, urbanisation, recurrent disasters such as floods and drought and migration are other factors, which have contributed to the commercial sexual and labour exploitation of women and children. Trafficking of women and children results in serious violation of human rights. It leads to very adverse physical, psychological and moral consequences for the victims, which are serious, lifelong and also life threatening. About 60-70% victims suffer from more than one disease including sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. The rescued victims are invariably penniless, physically ill and psychologically broken. It is an organised crime involving multiple abuses and abuses. Human trafficking is a matter of serious concern in cases of sexual exploitation as well as those of forced/ labour exploitation.

IAHTU (Integrated Anti Human Trafficking Unit)

  • Government of Odisha Women and Child Development Department Resolution No.22171 Dt.21.12.2009 on combating trafficking of Women & Children
  • Criminal Investigation Dept. , Crime Branch letter No.35995/CID-IAHTU Dtd.31.10.2014 regarding establishment and function of New IAHTU in Puri District.

FUNCTION OF IAHTU

  • Timely collection dissemination and utilization of intelligence about human trafficking.
  • Diligent rescue operation (rescue of maximum number of trafficked persons should be the aim).
  • Attend to post rescue care and attention of survivors (along with the concerned Government Departments and nodal NGO)
  • Carry out professional investigation to bring all of offender to book.
  • Ensure effective prosecution and strive for maximum and expeditious conviction of offenders.
  • Undertake all post-prosecution/conviction activities as per the law.
  • Maintain monthly database, which will be shared with BPR&D,NCRB,MHA,MWCD, Concerned District SsP, Range DIsG, State Police ‘Hdqrs., CID,CB, State Crime Records Bureau, BijuPatnaik State Police Academy, Women and Child Development Department, Govt. of Odisha and UNODC.
  • Initiate action of repatriation of outstation victims, in consultation with concerned local authorities and NGOs.
  • Associate other Government Departments, NGOs, Corporate and other willing agencies for effective rehabilitation of survivors.
  • Undertake any other activity that would enable them a combating and preventing human trafficking.
  • A Nodal NGO will be identified to support each AHTU. The Nodal NGO may associate other local NGOs as and when required.

TRAINING

Steps are being taken to conduct more District level training on human trafficking to sensitize police and other stake holders in the District.

Address

Address Integrated Anti Human Trafficing Unit,

District Police Office,
Koraput
PIN 764020
FAX : 06852-250801
Email ID: spkpt.orpol@nic.in