Odisha govt take measures to tackle crimes against women

Amid the recent spurt in crimes against women in the state, Odisha government today decided to take a series of measures to deal with such offences.
Besides, designating few Sessions Courts to deal with offences against women, the state government decided to delegate special powers to the Director General of Police to expedite investigation in such cases, official sources said.
It also proposed to engage holding investigating officers for each court to assist and facilitate procedures required for the prosecution, they said.
Chief secretary J K Mohapatra, who reviewed the administrative and investigating procedures at a meeting here today, said that owing to the overburden of cases in Sessions Courts in the districts, other Sessions Courts needed to be designated to expedite trials of cases of crime against women.

He asked the law department to draw up proposals to delegate some Sessions Courts to fast track women-related cases for the approval of the government and the High Court.
The Chief Secretary also directed to provide lady home guards in ladies' as well as girls' hostels being run under the ST and SC development department, sources said.

The women and the child development department has also been asked to strengthen the enforcement mechanisms to check sexual harassment of women at their work places, they added.
It was learnt that the police and law department have been asked to identify districts and places more vulnerable to such crimes and take stringent preventive measures.

The meeting also resolved that chief district medical officers would be asked to submit the medico-legal report within 48 hours of medical examinations of a victim.
It was decided that chargesheets should meet all requirements of trail and prosecution and legal advisors would be attached to offices of superintendents of police to assist preparation of chargesheets, sources said.