In a concerning revelation, the Seppa women’s police station has been reported to be currently devoid of female officers, a situation symptomatic of many police stations across Arunachal Pradesh.
As per reports, the officer in charge at the Seppa women’s police station is a male police officer. The previous officer in charge, Sunita Nabam, was transferred to Itanagar in August and her replacement, W. Pokna, is awaiting release from the Tirap police before assuming duties.
Moreover, the Police informed that there are no female officers in the entire district.
Shockingly, 99 out of 132 police stations in the state operate without any female officers.
Established in November 2018, the Seppa women’s police station is the second of its kind in Arunachal Pradesh, following the Itanagar women’s police station. Five others are at Tawang, Pasighat, Aalo, Tezu and Ziro.
Notably, Official data from 2019 reveals that only 7.79% of the police force in Arunachal Pradesh, approximately 882 personnel out of a total of 15,000, are female. The breakdown of female officers includes three IPS officers, three DySPs, 27 inspectors, 18 sub-inspectors, and eight assistant sub-inspectors.
It is to be mentioned here that there is a pressing need for increased female representation and empowerment within the police force in the state to effectively address gender-specific issues.
