Panaji’s women police station gets 2 more PIs as cases spike

Panaji: As crimes against women and children rise, Goa police have strengthened the women police station, Panaji, with two more police inspectors (PIs). Other police stations are facing a shortage of lady police sub-inspectors (LPSIs) and have started transferring the relevant cases to the women police stations.

For instance, Pernem police registered a rape case recently but could not investigate it as they had no LPSI. As a result, the case was transferred to the women police station, Panaji, after which the accused was arrested.

Besides the three PIs at the women police station, two LPSIs are at hand to investigate women-related cases.

A senior police officer said that the additional PIs have been posted to the women police stations to smoothen investigations.

The state has 47 police stations but only 40 LPSIs. According to a Supreme Court direction, women-related cases have to be investigated by LPSIs.

TOI had reported that the shortage of LPSIs and the preference of serving LPSIs for side postings have impacted the investigation of the cases related to women and children.

A senior police officer said a few women police officers have never taken a posting at a police station and therefore have not even had their uniforms stitched. The officer said that most LPSIs have chosen side postings and some opt for police stations close to their residences. Recently, a few LPSIs joined the immigration bureau at the airport.

During the special recruitment drive in 2016, Goa police selected only 32 women sub-inspectors for 79 vacancies and 172 women police constables for 221 vacancies.

At present, of the 670 women police personnel in the state police force, 462 are constables, 59 are head constables, 88 are assistant sub-inspectors, 40 are sub-inspectors, and 11 are inspectors.

In March 2013, Manohar Parrikar — the CM at the time — announced the formation of a special women police battalion with a strength of 300 personnel to investigate crimes against women. But even after the relaxation of criteria, Goa police were not able to recruit the sanctioned strength.