Uddhav meets Maha cops, assure help on women safety

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday directed senior police officials to take immediate action on crimes against women and bring perpetrators to justice.

Addressing the top brass of Maharashtra police at the DGP office in south Mumbai, Thackeray said money from the Nirbhaya Fund, which was not utilised by the previous state government, should be spent and a standard operating procedure for such expenditure be established.

Promising all help to the force, he said, "It is only the police due to which the common man celebrates festivals in a peaceful manner."

He told the officials that cases against people protesting in a non-violent way for justified causes should be withdrawn if the offences are not serious.

He said proposals for strengthening the police force will be sanctioned immediately, and issues of police housing, their health, duty hours and welfare will be sorted out by his government on priority.

Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve were present at the meeting.

Thackeray also spoke to all commissioners and range inspector-generals through video conference.

Maharashtra police earned praised in the national conference of DGPs and IGPs held in Pune recently.