Chennai: The Chennai City police have launched a special wing called ‘Thozhi’ (friend) comprising women police personnel to support and provide counselling to victims and their parents in sexual assault cases (Pocso Act) and guide them through legal procedures.
The City police commissioner A.K Viswanathan on Friday launched the scheme at the city police commissionerate and assigned 70 policewomen to work in the wing. They will be provided pink saris embedded with Nirbhaya logo as a mark of safety. Two policewomen will be assigned to each of the 35 all-women police stations in the city.
They will keep track of POCSO case victims, apart from counselling them and rendering all possible assistance. They will also visit the victims periodically. This will be pursued from the registration of a case until the end of the trial.
Joint commissioner of police, west zone, B Vijayakumari, psychiatrist Dr Shalini, Dr sAndrew Sesuraj of Loyola College and DCP of crimes against women and children H Jayalakshmi participated in the launch programme held at the Commissioner’s office on Friday.
