Team Herald
MARGAO: At a time when crimes against women are a global cause for concern, the Cuncolim Police Station has been running without a woman Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) after the lone woman officer was transferred to Sanguem recently.
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This disruption may be hampering investigations into crimes like sexual abuse, kidnapping of women – all of which should be dealt at the local police station. For example, the past two months Cuncolim PS has seen four cases of rape, all of which had to be transferred to Women’s Police Station in Margao – one of the busiest in the State – due to the absence of a woman PSI.
It has been learnt that the Women’s Police Station in Margao currently has four promoted woman PSIs and one regular woman PSI. Salcete has five police stations — Margao, Cuncolim, Fatorda, Colva and Maina Curtorim. Recently, the only lady PSI at Cuncolim was transferred to the Sanguem Police Station, but no replacement has been posted yet.
Sources indicate that Fatorda Police Station recently had two lady PSIs, with one more joining shortly, bringing the total to three. Margao, despite being one of the busiest stations in the State, has only one lady PSI. Colva and Maina Curtorim police stations each have two lady PSIs, while Colva, which oversees a large coastal belt, continues to operate with only two lady officers. However, no lady PSI has been posted to Cuncolim, leaving it without one entirely.
The acute shortage of woman PSIs at Cuncolim Police Station has significantly impacted the handling of cases related to crimes against women. The situation is particularly concerning given that the station’s jurisdiction covers 11 village panchayats and one municipality, yet it continues to function without a single lady PSI.
A senior police officer based at the police headquarters said on the condition of anonymity that the police station concerned has to send a requisition to the department and woman police officers can be deputed accordingly. He added that no file has been sent from Cuncolim police station to the headquarters so far.
