Special cell for crimes against women to finally take off today

Mumbai: The Mumbai police's crime against women cell (CAWC) will start functioning from Friday. The special cell will probe cases of rape, molestation, dowry and other atrocities against women. TOI was the first to report on the state's initiative to start a separate investigation wing to probe cases of crimes against women. 

    While the state government had decided to set up the cell in January, the idea remained only on paper. On Wednesday, TOI reported that the cell had not been set up even 40 days after the proposal was cleared. 
    Home minister R R Patil will officially announce the formation of the cell at a function at the Gateway on Friday. The first-ofits-kind crime detection cell for women will be headed by a DCP. 
    "DCP Sharda Raut, who currently holds the charge of the police HQ, will hold the additional charge of this cell till we find an appropriate officer to lead it," said a source. 
    The cell will be monitored by the joint commissioner of police (crime). It will have one DCP, two assistant commissioners of police, six police inspectors and two dozen police constables. The total strength of the CAWC will be 65. Police inspectors Sangita Patil and Neeta Phadke are the women officers selected to the cell. "The officers of this cell will be specially trained to tackle crime against women," said Addl CP (crime) Niket Kaushik. 
    The functioning of the CAWC, which will have two units, will be similar to that of other crime branch units, which conduct parallel probes into major crimes in the city. "While one unit will probe cases of rape, kidnapping, molestation and harassment, the other unit will investigate cases like dowry and harassment by in-laws," said JCP (crime) Himanshu Roy. 
    The CAWC will have its office in the upcoming building at the police HQ. Till then, it will operate out of the old administrative building. 
FAIR PLAY FOR FAIR PROBE 
    The first-of-its-kind crime detection cell for women will be headed by a deputy commissioner of police. It will have two units 
    The functioning of the cell will be monitored by the joint commissioner of police (crime) 
    It will have one DCP, two assistant commissioners of police, six police inspectors and two dozen police constables 
    The total strength of the special unit, which will comprise mostly women, will be 65