Hyderabad:
A NRI women safety cell, dealing with matrimonial issues, was Wednesday inaugurated at the women safety wing of the Telangana police here.
Inaugurated by the state director general of police M Mahendar Reddy, the cell would provide legal guidance with the support of ‘NILA’, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), for aggrieved women in NRI marriages, an official press release said.
IGP (Law and Order) and in-charge women safety wing Swati Lakra said the new cell would guide the station house officers (SHOs) during investigation into cases of harassment of NRI spouse/relatives.
Training in investigation and various procedures would be given to the SHOs.
Also, legal guidance to victims for further approach and contacts, liason with agencies like embassies, Ministry of External Affairs, National Commission of Women, NGOs as and when required would be given.
The DGP said the stakeholders should extend their best effort through expertise, guidance and knowledge to the victims.
The NRI women safety cell would be a platform to share their suffering and help them with all possible legal guidance for the process, he said.
He further said the proposed law amendments would help the victims fight legal battles against the harassment from NRI spouse/relatives.
He said the sensitisation of the women should be at the grassroots-level to encounter problems of fake NRI marriages.
Regional passport officer (Hyderabad) Vishnu Vardhan Reddu said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is sensitive to the harassment cases of women by NRI spouses.
The MEA has established an integrated nodal agency with all the stakeholders to help such victims fight legal battles.
He said prosecution is a challenging task, where the case details should be strong enough to get positive court orders.
The embassies in the various countries have been allotted a budget to support the victims in emergencies and also 193 NGOs’ support in counselling and legal advice, he added.
Representatives from 14 embassies, representatives from Ministry of External affairs, woman police station house officers from Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Warangal police commissionerates, NGOs, advocates, officers from the woman safety wing attended the programme, the release added.
