Female cop sets up 'Mobile Safety' for domestic violence victims

Picture/Humans of Bombay-Instagram

A police officer in Telangana is being showered with praises by netizens in a post by popular social media page ‘Humans of Bombay’ for setting up ‘Mobile Safety’ for domestic violence victims during the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The post shared on Instagram and Facebook featured Rema Rajeshwari, the superintendent of police, Mahabubnagar, in which he shares how an incident opened her eyes and inspired her to help others in similar situations.

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She shares that she received a call from a woman in Kanpur during the lockdown, who was not able to contact her sister for 3 days. “Her husband would hit her and she was worried it had happened again,” Rajeshwari said, in the post, adding that they sent a dispatch team to rescue the woman, only to find her in a condition that left the cop in shock. “She was badly bruised, hadn't had a single drop of water in 3 days and was writhing in pain,” the officer said. The woman was then rushed to a hospital and a case was registered against the husband.

The woman eventually recovered and Rajeshwari arranged inter-state passes for her to live with her sister. “That incident was an eye opener – there were so many victims of domestic violence living with their abusers and they couldn't even file a complaint,” said Rajeshwari in the post.

This was when she set up ‘Mobile Safety’ in which officers roam around the district in their vehicle. Under this initiative, they got 40 cases within two weeks.

Rajeshwari also shared the times she and her team offered help to many people in the district. From helping a pregnant woman reach hospital to help set up food banks and shelters and helping migrant workers reach home – she shared the details work her team did.

She shared that most of her teammates have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been quarantined. “Still, the only question they ask me is, 'Madam! When can we get back in action?' Such is the love for our duty!” Rajeshwari said in the post.

 

 

 

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“A month into the lockdown, a lady called me from Kanpur. She was extremely distressed as her sister hadn't called in 3 days. Her husband would hit her and she worried it had happened again. So we sent a dispatch team and found her in such a terrible condition, it shook me. She was badly bruised, hadn't had a single drop of water in 3 days and was writhing in pain. We rushed her to the hospital and filed a case against the husband. 3 days later, she fully recovered, but her sister called again, 'Can you please send her home to me?' So I got all the passes for inter-state travel and made sure she was home safely. That incident was an eye opener– there were so many victims of domestic violence living with their abusers and they couldn't even file a complaint! To help them, I set up 'Mobile Safety'– a vehicle with my team members doing rounds across the district and in 2 weeks, we had 40 cases! Alongside, more members of my team stepped up to help the general populace. Like this one time, we dropped a pregnant lady to the hospital in the police ambulance. When my colleague returned, he was beaming! He was so excited to be there for her and her newborn son! But as the rules got stricter, my team was stretched thin – from naka bandhis to contact tracing. And pretty soon, the migrants began going back home. We set up shelters and tried convincing them to stay but it was futile. So we set up food banks along the highway– and once the railways finally opened, we helped 11,000 workers reach home in under 15 days. Over the past 3 months, my team has put their lives at stake and risked their families, so that we could help people. But last week, a majority of them tested positive and have been quarantined. Still, the only question they ask me is, 'Madam! When can we get back in action?' Such is the love for our duty!”

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) onAug 6, 2020 at 5:30am PDT

Shared on August 6, the post has garnered close to 45,000 likes on Instagram and more than 22,000 likes on Facebook. Users commenting on the post shared how they have been inspired by the police officer and her initiatives.

“Great example of what a Leader should be! Awesome work to you and your team,” a user commented on Instagram. Another user praised the officer saying, “Kudos to all these heroes battling covid-19 in unforeseen ways!”.

A user thanked the officer for her initiatives saying, “Thank you for recognising the sharp uptick in domestic violence, specially during these difficult times. Thank you for doing something about it and taking action. A small step, but a huge one in the right direction. Thank you Thank you Thank you(sic).”

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