Imphal, January 30 2009: With necessary cooperation not forthcoming from the Police Department, various activities taken up by the Manipur State Commission for Women has failed to bear fruit.

This was stated by MSCW Chairperson Dr Ch Jamini at its office located near Imphal West DC office at Lamphelpat.

She noted that police cooperation is central in delivering justice to any victim of crime against women.

Saying that the women commission is a place where women victims of domestic violence and in the society can register their complaints and seek punishment to the crime perpetrators, Dr Jamini said for the complaints made, the MSCW conducted investigation and made recommendations to the Government.

If the Commission thinks that a particular person is guilty with regard to a complaint, the Commision sends summon to the guilty person.

But the accused often take the summon very lightly, said the Chairperson while explaining that at times of failure to comply with the summon, which often is the case, it demands issuance of warrant against such defaulters but it needs police assistance.

In another case, the Commission may take up a suo motto case pertaining to any crime against women even if there is no complaint.

In such cases, the Commission is required to issue warrant to the accused if he/she refuses to comply with summon, she observed.

Since the MSCW was established, there have been several complaints seeking justice and punishment to the accused.

After studying every complaint, the Commission sent summons to the persons whom it thought guilty.

But in many such cases, the summons were never complied with and there have been several instances when the Commission was rendered totally helpless, disclosed Dr Jamini.

However, in other States, women commissions have their own police teams, she said.

President of India Pratibha Patil convened a meeting of Governors of all the States on October 30 last year and discussed the issue of women empowerment.

In the aftermath of the meeting, at the instruction of the Governor, another meeting was held with Heads of Departments and the MSCW Chairperson at the Chief Secretary's office yesterday .

On its part, the MSCW put up the agenda of police sensitisation and gender budgeting during the meeting, Dr Jamini conveyed while adding that the State Government has been repeatedly approached earlier to provide police assistance to the Commission.

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