The units will work under the superintendent of police in each police district and will take up investigations referred to them.
Taking in view the rise in attacks against women across the country, the Modi government has decided to augment capacity of states in investigation of crimes like rape, acid attack, dowry death and human trafficking by setting up 200 special investigating units after identifying the “most crime-prone districts”.
There were 34,651 cases of rape and 384 cases of acid attacks reported across India last year. The country also witnessed 25,800 dowry deaths between 2013 and 2015.
An affidavit filed by the Home Ministry in the Supreme Court said Investigative Units for Crime Against Women (IUCAW) will be set up on a 50:50 cost sharing basis with the states, subject to ceiling of Rs 28 lakh per unit.
WHAT WILL THE INVESTIGATIVE UNITS DO
The primary objective of these states would be to assist the local police in the investigation of heinous crime against women. They will also provide the additional functionalities of proactive policing, intelligence gathering, tackling organised crime, monitoring proper implementation of legislative provisions, help in awareness generation and social participation in crimes against women.
The units will work under the superintendent of police in each police district and will take up investigations referred to them.
“Besides augmenting the investigative machinery of the states, the idea is also to instill confidence and encourage women to come forward and lodge their complaint”, the Centre said. The planned 200 units comprising of 15 personnel will be equipped with specialised investigators and at least five of them will be women.
