Bhubaneswar: The State Police organised a one-day workshop on women and child protection at the Police Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, following the directions of the Chief Minister.
DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania attended the workshop as the chief guest and emphasised the primary duty of keeping women and girls safe in the state.
The DGP highlighted Odisha Police’s commitment to making the state an example of women safety nationwide. He stressed the need for zero tolerance towards crimes against women, as instructed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The workshop focused on expediting investigations, proper management of Women and Children Desks in police stations, and increasing the conviction rate in cases of crimes against women.
Notably, Odisha’s conviction rate in such cases is currently 9.1%, which the DGP aims to improve through better investigation, training, and victim support. The police department has taken initiatives like setting up Anti-Human Trafficking Units and appointing women officers as heads of police stations to enhance women’s safety.
The DGP also presented certificates to officers from 13 districts that have achieved significant success in convicting accused in cases of rape of minors. In these cases, the accused were sentenced to 20 years or more in rigorous imprisonment, with some convictions achieved within a remarkably short period, such as 55 days and 67 days.
The conference was attended by Uttar Pradesh DGP Renuka Mishra, Utkal University Professor Dr. Mitali Chinara, National Law University Professor Suman Das Bhattamishra, Dr. Sujata Mishra, Director, Health and Family Welfare Department.
