Bhubaneswar: The Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) of Odisha Police Tuesday asked all superintendents of police (SPs) to review pending and fresh grievances lodged by women and girls to prevent them from taking extreme steps such as suicide.
Inspector General of Police, CAW&CW, S Shyni has written a letter to all SPs, DCPs and Superintendents of railway police in this regard.
Shyni in her letter said, “Since the Balasore Fakir Mohan Autonomous College incident of self-immolation of a girl student, there has been a steady increase in the incidences of suicide by self-immolation and attempts.”
Studies and research have shown that reporting and portrayal of suicidal behaviour in the media have potentially negative influences and facilitate suicidal acts by people exposed to such stimuli, she said.
The IGP instructed the police officers to review pending grievances and fresh grievances of women and girls within the notice of the police and take proactive measures to prevent self-harm by women and girls.
She also advised them to undertake awareness campaigns and workshops to screen and map pre-existing vulnerabilities among the teenage group, which are a higher risk category, to be undertaken in schools, colleges and training institutes in coordination with concerned departments.
Shyni also requested the district-level police officers to sensitise the local media persons so that they pay adequate attention while reporting suicides, understanding the sensibility and potential negative influences that can act as a contagion, triggering more and more suicides, especially among adolescents.
Women and girls found to be distressed due to any ongoing life situation should be advised to seek mental health support at the district level or through tele-MANAS at 14416, she added.
At least five women, including two minor girls, allegedly committed suicide over various issues in the last one month.
On July 12, a 20-year-old female student of FM Autonomous College attempted suicide by self-immolation over alleged inaction by authorities over her complaint of sexual harassment by a professor. She later died while undergoing treatment in AIIMS here.
On July 19, a 15-year-old girl suffered burn injuries in Balanga in Odisha’s Puri district. She died while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Delhi August 2.
However, a controversy erupted as her mother claimed in the FIR that she was set on fire by three persons but police later concluded that no one else was involved in the incident.
On August 6, a female college student died after she allegedly immolated herself at her house in Kendrapara district following her former boyfriend’s threat to upload her intimate photographs on social media.
Similarly, a 13-year-old school-going girl died after allegedly immolating herself in Bargarh district August 11, while the body of a Plus 3 first-year female student was found hanging in the bathroom of a private hostel in Bhadrak Tuesday (August 12).