Saturday, April 30, 2011
Anti-human trafficking unit opened in Pudukottai
The unit will be an integral component of the district police, writes M.Balaganessin
A.G.Mourya, DIG of Police, Tiruchi Range, handing over the keys of a vehicle to the personnel of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in Pudukottai Crimes associated mainly with sexual harassment of children, women and individuals; cases involving prostitution and offences of bonded labour pose a major problem, creating social insecurity among the affected. Very often these crimes are traced to human trafficking of children, women or individuals.
In an attempt to prevent human trafficking, the Police Department, in coordination with the Social Welfare Department, Prison Department and non-governmental organisations, has chalked out a plan to set up ‘anti-human trafficking unit' in select districts in the State.
Pudukottai was one of the districts identified for the programme. The selection of the district was based on the anti-social crime records. The Devadasi system, a major anti-social evil which was widely debated in the Parliament during the post-Independence period for its practice in parts of Tamil Nadu, was one of the main factors for the selection of Pudukottai district for setting up the unit.
Structure and infrastructure
The eleven-member police unit, which was inaugurated earlier this week by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tiruchi Range, A.G. Mourya, will henceforth form an integral component of the District Police Office. Led by an Inspector of Police, the unit comprises two Sub-Inspectors of Police, one of them being a woman officer, and eight Head constables (of them four women).
“Inclusion of women police personnel aims at facilitating prompt investigation of women offenders,” says M.S.Muthusamy, Superintendent of Police.
“The unit has been assigned adequate infrastructure: a vehicle for efficient patrolling, a telefax and a computer with internet access,” he says.
The unit will be alert round-the-clock and will receive complaints even over mobile phone. Members of the aggrieved persons or people with vital tip-off about human trafficking offences can contact the Inspector of Police by dialling 94454-93678.
The unit will maintain tabs on those trafficking women for involving them in sexual crimes and for using them for sex trade. It will also ensure and supervise the operation of recovering them from such criminals. “Taking up immediate investigation on any vital tip-off will be the foremost of our five-pronged responsibilities”, says Mr. Muthusamy.
Although crimes involving children and treating them as contract labourers is not reported in Pudukottai district in the past several years, the unit will keep a close vigil on such crimes.
Care and protection of children will be another important programme. The unit would work for the expeditious disposal of cases registered against juveniles.
Close vigil against trafficking will be maintained at public places such as bus stands, hospitals, places of worship and educational institutions.
Periodical inspection of a total of 13 registered children's homes in the district, and monitoring of un-approved homes would form part of the unit's responsibilities.
THE HINDU
A.G.Mourya, DIG of Police, Tiruchi Range, handing over the keys of a vehicle to the personnel of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in Pudukottai
In an attempt to prevent human trafficking, the Police Department, in coordination with the Social Welfare Department, Prison Department and non-governmental organisations, has chalked out a plan to set up ‘anti-human trafficking unit' in select districts in the State.
Pudukottai was one of the districts identified for the programme. The selection of the district was based on the anti-social crime records. The Devadasi system, a major anti-social evil which was widely debated in the Parliament during the post-Independence period for its practice in parts of Tamil Nadu, was one of the main factors for the selection of Pudukottai district for setting up the unit.
Structure and infrastructure
The eleven-member police unit, which was inaugurated earlier this week by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tiruchi Range, A.G. Mourya, will henceforth form an integral component of the District Police Office. Led by an Inspector of Police, the unit comprises two Sub-Inspectors of Police, one of them being a woman officer, and eight Head constables (of them four women).
“Inclusion of women police personnel aims at facilitating prompt investigation of women offenders,” says M.S.Muthusamy, Superintendent of Police.
“The unit has been assigned adequate infrastructure: a vehicle for efficient patrolling, a telefax and a computer with internet access,” he says.
The unit will be alert round-the-clock and will receive complaints even over mobile phone. Members of the aggrieved persons or people with vital tip-off about human trafficking offences can contact the Inspector of Police by dialling 94454-93678.
The unit will maintain tabs on those trafficking women for involving them in sexual crimes and for using them for sex trade. It will also ensure and supervise the operation of recovering them from such criminals. “Taking up immediate investigation on any vital tip-off will be the foremost of our five-pronged responsibilities”, says Mr. Muthusamy.
Although crimes involving children and treating them as contract labourers is not reported in Pudukottai district in the past several years, the unit will keep a close vigil on such crimes.
Care and protection of children will be another important programme. The unit would work for the expeditious disposal of cases registered against juveniles.
Close vigil against trafficking will be maintained at public places such as bus stands, hospitals, places of worship and educational institutions.
Periodical inspection of a total of 13 registered children's homes in the district, and monitoring of un-approved homes would form part of the unit's responsibilities.
THE HINDU
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