)
Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil has asked police force to take up on priority cases of crimes against children and conduct a thorough probe in it.
"The crimes related to injustice and torture of the children should be taken up on priority and probed," Patil said while launching the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of Thane Police Commissionerate here last evening.
If the experiment of CPU in Thane is successful, it would be extended to the entire state, he said, adding that the Thane city should be "free of child labour." Police would soon come out with similar programmes for women in Mumbai and senior citizens in Pune, he said.
Patil also appealed to the citizens to support and cooperate with police in the latter's work. The CPU comprises a staff of 50 police personnel who have been given specialised training in child care and have been trained by doctors, NGOs and social workers who have done work in the field of child care. Minister of State for Tribal Development Rajendra Gavit, actor Sunil Shetty, Thane Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta and Thane Police Commissioner Vijay Kamble among others were also present.
