New Delhi:
The Delhi police have told the Delhi High Court that there are 15 “special district cells” for the protection of inter-caste couples and that any victim can call the women’s helpline ‘181’ for emergency assistance.
Delhi Police explained that once a call is received, details will be shared with the concerned DCP and the couple involved will be moved to a “safe house” after following the appropriate procedure.
Details regarding these cells will be published on social media and on the Delhi Police website, it said.
The police’s filing came on the heels of a status report filed on petitions from the NGO Dhanak by Humanity, represented by lawyer Utkarsh Singh, regarding the establishment of special cells in the city in terms of a Supreme Court order requesting state governments to provide special establish cells to receive complaints of intimidation and threats to couples of intercaste marriages.
The police said in its status report that under the directive, 15 special cells were established with the respective DCPs as coordinating officers and also included a District Social Welfare Officer and a District Women & Child Development Officer.
It said that the special cells, which provide the facilities for “housing bed linen, counseling the couple through a probation officer and a medical facility” in terms of the SOP issued by the Delhi government, are 17 inter-caste couples have treated.
“It is alleged that 15 district special cells have been formed by GNCT vide order dated August 28, 2020, in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment of March 27, 2018. District special cell consists of the respective DCP as the coordinating officer and District Social Welfare Officer and District Women & Child Development Officer as members,” the report said.
“As for the methodology, the victim can call the women’s helpline number 181. The details of calls must be shared with the concerned DCP who runs this special cell. A complaint (has been) received and after investigation, the requirement of the safe house will be conveyed to the district magistrate and the couples are safely transferred to the hiding place,” it added.
The report also informed that the relevant SOP and the list of special district cells have also been uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of Delhi.
In August, Judge Jasmeet Singh asked the Delhi Police to submit a detailed status report detailing the facilities/services provided by the special cells, as well as their position on giving them publicity so that citizens and couples of inter-caste marriages are aware of their existence. .
The court had also said at the time that there was also no clarity about the protection these cells provide and the “methodology” to approach them.
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