With incidents of sexual assaults, rape and murder of women and girl children being reported across Assam, a total of 169 complaints were received till date on the women’s helpline in Assam since it was launched in the State on March 29, 2018.
It may be mentioned that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 181-Sakhi toll free Women Helpline at Dispur for women to lodge complaints related to domestic violence, sexual harassment, dowry cases, eve-teasing in public/work places etc on March 29, 2018.
A report published by The Telegraph on Sunday quoting an official source stated that the helpline had received 169 complaints in the last 24 days and the complaints have been forwarded to the police for taking necessary steps.
The report also stated that of the complaints received on the helpline, 45 were related to domestic violence.
The report also quoted the official as saying, “Most of the cases of domestic violence are about dowry demands and extramarital affairs. Even people in their late fifties have been accused by their spouses of having extramarital affairs with young girls.”
Many complaints on domestic violence were reportedly received even from the people in their late fifties. Most of the domestic violence cases were reportedly related to dowry demands and extramarital affairs.
Most of the complaints were received from Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon districts.
Complaints on cyber crime were also received on the helpline, where women and girls were being abused in verbal form on the social media platforms. Moreover, complaints about child marriage, child trafficking, abduction and torture have been reported on the helpline.
Also read: Assam Government launches ‘181’ women helpline number
The report also quoted the source as stating, “Since the launch of the helpline, we have answered around 2,000 calls, including prank and obscene calls and those made by victims to know the status of their complaints. There were also instances of the caller threatening our staff for registering the complaints”
The service is integrated with Women Police Stations, State Commission for Women, Family Counselling Centres, NGOs, Legal Service Centres, Shelter Homes, Medical & Legal Experts.
The helpline will assist women in terms of social welfare schemes, shelter, counselling, medical examination, filing FIR, legal aid, recording of audio and visual depositions and emergency response and rescue.
During the launch of the helpline, Sonowal had said that the State government was taking a series of measures to stop such crimes and stringent action would be taken against the perpetrators of such crimes.
The CM also had informed that police stations throughout the State had been alerted to keep close watch over such incidents.