Special cells to deal with threat to inter-caste couples: Delhi govt tells HC

The Delhi government on Wednesday submitted before the Delhi High Court that 15 special cells will be set up in every police district to deal with the threat to inter-caste marriage couples.

The Home Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi, in a status report, submitted that it has issued an order dated August 28 constituting 15 committees of officers as District Special Cells, co-terminus with Police Districts in Delhi.

The Delhi government also informed a division bench of Justice JR Midha and Justice Brijesh Sethi that the Deputy Commissioner of Police of respective districts will be the co-ordinating officers for the functioning of these special cells.

The special cells shall function in accordance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in the case of Shakti Vahini Versus Union of India & Ors, the government said in its status report.

It also informed the High Court that in a meeting, held under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary (Home) regarding petitions/complaints of harassment and threat to inter-caste marriage couples on August 21, 2020, it was decided that the special cells should be created in every police district in Delhi.

The status report said that the special cells will be created in Delhi in every revenue district comprising of Deputy Commissioner of Police, District Social Welfare Officer and Representative of the Women and Child Development Department.

"In the said meeting, the representatives of the Social Welfare Department mentioned that the said department will create and manage the new 24-hour helpline regarding complaints of harassment of and threat to couples of inter-caste marriage," the status report said.

"It was also decided in the said meeting that Delhi Police, Social Welfare Departments, and Women and Child Development Department will jointly draft Standard Operating Procedure to operationalise the Special Cell and the 24-hour helpline," it added.

The status report said that the representative of Delhi Police, in the meeting, had also informed that that a detailed SOP for the police is also being drafted. It has also been decided that at present, one safe house has been established by the Social Welfare Department to accommodate such couples by the government.

The Delhi government filed the status report on a petition, filed by Dhanak of Humty, which highlighted the lack of the implementation of the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in the Shakti Vahini case.

( With inputs from ANI )