SHILLONG: The State Commission for Women is planning to submit a proposal to the government for setting up an investigation cell in the panel.
Chairperson of the commission Theilin Phanbuh said on Tuesday it was necessary to have a probe cell because the panel needed to work in tandem with police.
“There are several cases of violence against women, some are being investigated and many are not even reported to police. If the commission has its own investigation cell, then we can help police with cases,” she said. An inquiry body of the commission will also help in cases where victims or her relatives are apprehensive about approaching police, Phanbuh observed.
“In several cases we find that people are scared to speak to police. But if we say it is the commission, they readily give information,” she said.
Talking about the woman vendor’s murder in the city on Sunday, Phanbuh said she came to know about the incident from newspaper reports on Tuesday morning.
“The police did not inform us but we should have been intimated. However, it is also true that they are busy with innumerable cases,” said the chairperson as she stressed on co-ordination.
Phanbuh said with a probe team, the commission can easily start its groundwork on a case and provide police necessary information that would also help in quickening work.
Low conviction
When asked about the continuing cases of violence against women, Phanbuh said low conviction is a major problem. “Cases need to be fast tracked. The government has set up fast track courts but they need to expedite processes,” she added.
Police statistics show that in 2014, the overall conviction rate was 6.3 per cent with 254 convictions in 3,983 cognizable crimes that were reported. The rate increased marginally to 9.5 per cent in 2015 with 420 convictions in 4,406 cognizable crimes registered in the State.
