Following the furore caused by Additional Director-General of Police-Law and Order (ADGP-L&O) Davidson Devasirvatham’s advisory to avoid posting female police officers on important security duty, the Office of Director-General of Police (DGP) on Saturday issued a clarification stating that women police personnel were an integral part of policing in Tamil Nadu.
Women activists, educationists, lawyers, academicians, and writers had issued a statement expressing shock and condemnation over the advisory. They said it was widely reported in the media and seemed to have been issued in the backdrop of the custodial death of Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga.
“The Constitution of India clearly states that men and women are equal before law. Women cannot be discriminated against and denied opportunities or assignments, merely on the basis of their sex. Excluding women from positions of responsibility amounts to discrimination and is strongly condemnable,” they said, while urging Mr. Davidson to retract his statement.
The Office of DGP, in its clarification, said during the recent video conference with officers from districts and cities on June 30, the ADGP-L&O had advised them against deploying a lot of women police personnel for bandobust duties. The instruction was made in view of the need for women police personnel in the investigation and prosecution of cases under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and crimes against women and children, it said.
As per law, it is mandatory to file the final reports in POCSO cases within 60 days, and the pendency in such cases requires immediate attention. The primary objective was to ensure that women police personnel, who play an indispensable role in investigating crimes against women and children, were not posted elsewhere, the statemen said.
It also clarified that women police personnel were an integral part of policing in Tamil Nadu. Women police personnel are deployed for bandobust duties, and they will continue to be used, wherever necessary.
The police department said it was to be understood that as per law, certain tasks in policing should be carried out by women police personnel only, such as arresting women, enquiring and recording the statements of women accused or witnesses or children, and managing women in crowds during bandobust duty.
Published – July 06, 2025 12:47 am IST
