"Every district would also have a similar police station. These police stations will be managed by women police personnel," the minister told reporters yesterday after meeting women's organisations and NGOs.
Justifying his decision, the minister said that women feel awkward while reporting incidents of rape, molestation and other sexual crimes to the local police.
"With these special police stations for them, women would feel at ease to lodge a complaint," he said.
Between 2005 and 2008 a total of 6,054 cases of rape were registered and 8,172 people arrested for the same in the state.
The police commissionerates which would have special police stations for women include Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Amravati, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nashik and Solapur.
The government will also set up a toll-free helpline to provide free legal advice to women, the minister said, adding the helpline is expected to be operational within a month.
Published 22 August 2009, 06:42 IST