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Coordination with Meghalaya Police

The unique location of the Special Cell within the police station makes possible, a multi-agency coordinated response in the best interest of the violated woman. Since June 2016 to May 2017, 71 cases have been referred by the Police to the social workers. The police refer cases (Establishing Special Cell for Women in the Police System, a Socio-legal Service for Women and Children facing Violence Principles, Strategic Objectives, Approach and Standard Operating Procedures. The document detailing out the has been submitted to the DGP Office and id requested for, it can be re-submitted.) which require in-depth sensitive intervention and also cases in which survivor does not want police or legal intervention, but wants other measures to end the violence in her life.

As full-time and trained personnel, the social workers also are able to engage the help of the police of not only the station that they are located at, but also police stations across the district. In Meghalaya, the Social Workers have engaged police help in 21 cases in order to:

  • Assist the aggrieved woman in retrieving her Stridhan or belongings from the respondent's house.
  • Get the FIR of the aggrieved woman registered if she wants to, because she feels respondent is too abusive.
  • Seek help from concern Police Station of the aggrieved woman, if she does not want to file an FIR against the respondent, but to have the Police make a General Diary entry for information and her safety.
  • Coordinated with Police and other concern Police Station in one of the case of a missing child.
  • To send a call-letter through concern Police Stations to the respondent for an individual session at the Special Cell for Women. If the respondent does not turn-up for sessions, the Cell seeks the help of the Police to call and inform the respondent.

Besides coordinating with the Police on a case-to-case basis, the social workers have also worked along with the Police to create awareness on the issue of violence against women through various awareness programmes organised at various schools and localities. The social workers have also been invited by the Police as resource persons for a workshop on investigationg of cases under POCSO Act organised by Director General of Police, Meghalaya, Shillong.

The social workers have also been nominated by the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills to file suo-moto cognizance of any crime/offence/incident of a child who has been sexually abused.