The Madras High Court recently expressed severe criticism of All Women Police Stations (AWPS) in Tamil Nadu, describing them as “shameless kangaroo courts” that have devolved into units of corruption. The court’s remarks were made during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by a man named K Janarthan against Vimala, an inspector of police at the Thilagar Thidal All Women Police Station in Madurai.
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“…in Tamil Nadu, All Women Police Stations are reduced to stations of corruption and many times the despicable attitude of arrest first, and then proceed with the rest harassing either parties in matrimonial disputes depending on the money, muscle and power of the approaching parties is at alarming rise.”
The bench, consisting of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri, issued a series of directives to the State Director General of Police (DGP) to be implemented across all 222 All Women Police Stations in the state. These directives aim to restore the original purpose of these stations, which were established in 1992 to take action against violence and cruelty against women.
The court ordered the creation of special cells to handle grievances of adolescent and young women facing harassment. Each station is to have a family counselling unit comprising a qualified family counsellor, a social worker, a woman lawyer, a lady doctor, and a female psychologist. All matrimonial disputes reaching these stations should first be sent for family counselling.
The court also ordered the resumption of mobile counselling units at all-women police stations and the conduct of women empowerment camps during weekends. These police stations are to have a child-friendly corner and a room to interrogate juvenile suspects.
The court’s decision comes as Tamil Nadu celebrates the golden jubilee of the induction of women into the police department. The court urged the home department to implement these directives across the state.
The contempt petition was filed by Janarthan following a complaint from his wife. He claimed that he was arrested without any preliminary inquiry, in violation of Supreme Court directions. The court accepted his claim, but let off Vimala with a warning after she tendered an unconditional apology.