Punjab Government is in the process of giving teeth to its women panel by providing it with the assistance for probing the complaints placed before it.

Hitting the headlines at the national level after getting a case registered against the renowned rapper Honey Singh, the Punjab State Commission for Women is all set to get a separate investigation wing, which would include a SP or DSP level officers, to probe high profile and sensitive cases. 

For the same, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also given a go-ahead. “I have met the Chief Minister last week and we discussed law and order situation in the state. He asked me if I am having any problem with any of the police officer while dealing with the cases...He also suggested that an SP or DSP level officer can be attached with the Commission who would investigate the complaints,” said Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati adding that a separate investigation wing would further strengthen the panel. 

Gulati said that sometimes, there were some complicated cases where the complainant was not satisfied with the outcome, or feel that they were not heard, or police acted biased with them, “this investigation wing would help in dealing with such cases”.

The panel head informed that the officers in the wing would get the inquiry done within a week, and after that, the Commission would further send it for further action like registering FIR, or any action, to the concerned SSP, or the local administration.

The decision came days after the Commission intended to have its say in the appointment of senior police officials in the State. Besides, the women panel also wanted that only those police officers, sensitive enough to handle women-related cases, should be bestowed with the responsibility.

Gulati had given a slew of suggestions to the state Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta urging him to give special attention to the cases related with the women. During their meeting, she had suggested the DGP to consult with the Commission while appointing the senior officials in the state police department.

She had suggested the DGP to inform the Commission regarding the attitude of the officers or employees towards the womenfolk, besides their behaviour towards their women employees.

“The exercise would help the police department to keep away the anti-women employees or officers, having irresponsible and perverse attitude, from dealing with the women-related matters ensuring justice to the fair sex and saving them from undue harassment,” she had suggested.

Appointed in 2018, Gulati has all along been raising the women-related issues at every level.

Only recently, she had filed a complaint with the state police against the rap singer Honey Singh for using vulgar lyrics against women in his latest sing ‘Makhna’, following which a case has been registered against him in Mohali.