DGP opens NRI women safety cell

Hyderabad: Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy on Wednesday inaugurated the NRI women safety cell (matrimonial issues) at Telangana Women Safety Wing in Lakdikapul. Representatives from 14 Embassies, Ministry of External affairs, Woman Police station SHO's from Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Warangal Commissionerates, NGO's, advocates, officers from the Woman Safety wing participated in the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, DGP said the stakeholders should extend their best effort through expertise, guidance and knowledge to the victims. He opined that the NRI women safety cell will be a platform for women to open about their suffering and provide help with all possible legal guidance for the process.

The DGP also said the proposed law amendments will help the victims in fighting a legal battle against harassment from NRI spouse and their relatives. He said sensitisation of women should be at grass root level to encounter the problems from fake NRI marriages.

The stakeholders should work for the long-term goal of achieving and influencing law makers in providing justice for the victims. The NRI women safety cell will provide legal guidance by the support of NILA, an NGO to the aggrieved women in NRI marriages.

Swati Lakra, IGP, Law and Order and in-charge of women safety, said the cell will guide the SHOs during investigation of cases related to harassment of NRI spouse and their relatives. Trainings in investigation and various procedures will be given to the SHOs and also legal guidance to victims for further approaches and contacts, liaison with agencies like embassies, Ministry of External Affairs, National Women Commission, NGOs as and when required.

Hyderabad Regional Passport Officer Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said the Ministry of External Affairs is sensitive to the harassment cases of woman by NRI spouse. The MEA has established an Integrated Nodal Agency with all the stakeholders to help such victims in fighting legal battle. He said prosecution is a challenging task, where the case details should be strong enough to get positive court orders. The embassies in various countries have been allotted budget to support the victims in emergencies.

Tripuraneni Venkataratnam, Former chairperson of State Woman Commission, Vyjayanthi, Director of Prosecutions, Telangana State and Sumathi, SP, WPC, CID also participated in the programme. The NRI cell will work with the panel of legal experts, Standard Operating procedure will be followed and in-house training for Investigating Officers, awareness through posters and brochures, centralised monitoring of the cases and liaison with all stakeholders.

Later the dignitaries launched posters on precautions to be taken before marrying an NRI, knowledge on citizenship status, caution on matrimonial agency, important parameters for carrying out verifications on the NRI groom's personal information.