Two weeks after its launch, the women’s Helpline Centre of Jammu and Kashmir Police has received more than 50 complaints of violence and harassment against women.
The round-the-clock helpline was set up by the Srinagardistrict police at Women’s Police Station Rambagh on 1 May to make women feelsafe and to make them aware that no one has the right to tease or sexuallyharass them or in any way physically harm them.
A policewoman dealing with the helpline cases said a girlrecently complained about a boy who had uploaded her picture on social media.
“We also got a call from a woman whose daughter was beingharassed by a boy in the neighbourhood. We also received complaints regardingdomestic violence,” she said.
She said the complaints made by Srinagar residents are beinghandled by the women’s police station itself, while complaints from other areasare referred to the concerned police stations.
Women can call or send WhatsApp messages on 9596770601 and9596770602.
As reported by Greater Kashmir, the Crime Branch of thepolice had released figures about atrocities against women during the year 2017that shows a significant jump in sexual violence and other types of atrocitiesagainst women.
During 2016, the police had registered 2920 cases of rape,molestation, kidnapping and abduction, eve teasing, dowry death cases and otheratrocities against women. In 2017, the number of such cases rose to 3363.
The police data shows 314 women were raped in 2017 comparedto 262 in 2016.
As many as 1422 women complained of being subjected to actsof molestation in 2017, 189 cases more than in the previous year.