India Proposes Special Police Units To Investigate Crimes Against Women

Of the 2,250 people required for the 150 special units, 750 will be women, to encourage victims to come forward.

The Ministry of Home Affairs of India proposed setting up a special police team to combat crimes against women, the government announced Tuesday.

The Investigative Units on Crimes Against Women (IUCAW) is planned for the entire nation, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh wrote to officials across the country asking them to consider the proposal.

"The objective of these units will be to investigate cases referred to them (and) augment the investigative machinery of the states in relations to the heinous crimes against women, especially rape, dowry deaths, acid attacks and human trafficking," the statement said, according to Reuters.

MHA has proposed to set up 150 such IUCAW units initially on pilot basis in most crime prone districts of each state.

The units will be responsible for policing, intelligence gathering, fighting organized crime, spreading awareness, and promoting public participation in reporting crimes against women, the statement said.

The IUCAWs will investigate cases referred to them, augment the investigative machinery in relation to the heinous crimes against women.

Singh also suggested implementing fast-track courts to expedite the cases.

Of the 2,250 people required for the 150 special units, 750 will be women, to encourage victims to come forward Singh said. The project will cost approximately $13.25 million, according to the statement.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crimes against women in India, including rape, kidnapping, trafficking, and cruelty by husbands and relatives, increased almost 27% from 2012 to 2013.

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