150 special units to probe crimes against women

Uttar Pradesh is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of the Central government's decision to help states set up 150 specialised investigative units to probe crimes against women.

While Uttar Pradesh will get 15 such Investigative Units for Crime Against Women (IUCAWs), the maximum number for a state, Madhya Pradesh is second with 10 such units.
Karnataka will have six such units.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on December 31 last year written to the chief ministers of all states about the Centre's plans to facilitate IUCAWs in 150 police districts most prone to crimes against women.

The initial plan is to cover 20 per cent of the districts of each state at an expenditure of Rs 84 crore annually.

“Each state will have the liberty to set up IUCAWs in their districts of choice with high incidence of crimes against women.

However, the cap on the number of districts per state will be final,” the Union Home Ministry had informed the states.

Each unit is likely to incur a salary expenditure of Rs 56 lakh per year, and the Centre will provide 50 per cent of that amount, or Rs 28 lakh, to the states.

Uttar Pradesh will get Rs 4.2 crore per year once it sets up these units; Karnataka will get Rs 1.68 crore. The states will get the funds once a year, after documented proof on deployment of trained investigative officers is submitted to the Centre, said a senior official. According to the Home Ministry's plan, these units may consist of 15 personnel each, five among them preferably women. Thus, of the total 2,250 personnel required for the 150 IUCAWs, 750 could be women.

Each unit will be headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police, assisted by two DSPs.   The states will have “full flexibility” on whether to create new posts or deploy personnel from the existing strength.

The objective of these units will be to investigate cases referred to them and augment the investigative machinery of states in relation to crimes against women, like rape, dowry death, acid attack and human trafficking.