Inaugurated seven years ago, the Women Police Stations in Kolkata have been a great success in ensuring the safety and security of women in the city. Thanks to their efforts, Kolkata has become the safest city in India for the third consecutive year, as per the annual report released by the National Crime Records Bureau. Kolkata has the lowest number of cognisable offences per lakh population among all the metropolises in India.
Watgunge Women Police Station was among the first four to be established. It is situated within the same premises as the Watgunge Police Station. It is responsible for covering the entire area under the Port Division, including North Port, South Port, Watgunge, West Port, Garden Reach, Ekbalpur, Nadial, Rajabagan and Metiaburuz.
Led by Officer-in-Charge Rupa Singh, the all-female team of Watgunge Women Police Station is doing a remarkable job in fulfilling their duties as responsible police personnel.
Considering the demographics and literacy rate of the citizens living in this area of the city, the main challenge lies in the awareness perspective. According to OC Rupa Singh, “Our goal as police officers is to provide effective and smart policing with a humane approach. We have noticed that women in this area actively participate in our initiatives. We emphasise counselling in most cases of domestic disputes and misunderstandings, and we have been immensely successful in resolving these issues. However, we never compromise on the safety and security of women. This approach has been the hallmark of Team Watgunge Women Police Station.”
Rupa Singh is a 2008 batch officer who has always been known for her strict work ethic. In one of her interviews, she candidly shared about her early days in the police force. She used to live in the Hindmotor area of Hooghly and had to travel daily to and from work. None of her family members were part of the police fraternity. During the police verification process for her job, she visited a police station for the first time in her life. She had doubts about whether joining the police force was a wise decision or not. However, after 16 years of working in the Force, she believes that it was indeed the best decision of her life.
Rupa Singh became a Sub Inspector at the Amherst Street Police Station in 2009. She later worked at the Watgunge Police Station for two years until the inauguration of the Watgunge Women Police Station, where she was then transferred. Following this, she worked as a Sub Inspector at the New Market Police Station in the Central Division. In 2021, Rupa Singh was promoted to Inspector and joined the Detective Department. In 2022, she was assigned as the Officer-In-Charge of the Watgunge Women Police Station.
Rupa Singh’s experience and expertise have been honed through years of dedication and hard work. She recalled an incident from her early days at Amherst Street Police Station, where they received a missing complaint from a married woman from a nearby locality. That very evening, they found a lady roaming hopelessly on the road and later identified her as the missing woman. During her conversation with the lady, Rupa was astonished to know that the woman had earlier complained of domestic violence, but for some reason, the complaint was withdrawn afterwards. This incident came as a huge shock for Rupa and made her realise that as responsible women officers, they have enough scope to dig the truth with a humanitarian approach.
In another instance, Rupa Singh talked about how the safety of women is often associated with cybercrime. She narrated an incident from her time at Watgunge Police Station, during which, while patrolling in the early morning hours, they found an unconscious woman at an under-construction building. The lady, belonging to an underprivileged section of society, used to work as a mason. She was sexually assaulted and robbed of her mobile phone and other belongings by a man. The police did not have any lead except for her mobile phone, which was switched off for the next thirty days. On the thirty-first day, the phone started ringing, and they tracked it to Srirampur. They pursued it and eventually caught the culprit, who had sold the phone. Interestingly, the sketch of the culprit provided by the lady did not match the person who was caught. This happens when a person is traumatised. This incident was a significant lesson for Rupa Singh.
It is interesting to note that the Nayi Disha initiative implemented by the Port Division has had a positive impact on the Watgunge Women Police Station. Awareness programmes are conducted under this scheme in schools, colleges, slum areas, rickshaw stands, and other public interest areas. It has successfully educated people about child marriage, domestic violence, the importance of education, and the legal rights of citizens. It is worth mentioning that the Nayi Disha initiative was initiated under the leadership of the former DCP of Port Division, Kolkata Police, Zafar Ajmal Kidwai, IPS.
Women from local minority families have actively participated in community development projects of the Kolkata Police. Moreover, the Watgunge Red Light area has also seen a positive transformation, which can be attributed to the visible presence and professionalism of the police force.
Officer-In-Charge Rupa Singh signed off with these words, “We have been truly vigilant in the true sense of the term. Livelihood is a major area of concern for many women. We are actively working with non-profit groups to empower them. We believe that an inclusive community’s well-being is essential for progress. We can only hope that the Watgunge Women Police Station will serve as a great example for other Women Police Stations operating in the country in the coming days.”
Watgunge Women Police Station: Spreading Hope Among the Marginalised
