Special Director General of Police (Community Affairs Division and Women Affairs) Gurpreet Kaur Deo on Monday said that Punjab’s Saanjh Rahat Kendras are helping bridge the gap between distress calls and formal justice mechanisms by providing survivors with a safe and accessible support system within civil hospitals.
She said the centres are offering a comprehensive support system for women facing domestic violence, including integrated counselling, legal aid, medical assistance and rehabilitation services under one roof.
Highlighting the achievements of the project, Deo said, “The first such centre was established in Mohali in September 2024 and has since expanded to Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.” She said trained counsellors with postgraduate qualifications in psychology had been deployed at these centres, enabling early identification and intervention in cases of abuse.
According to data shared by her, 1,656 women were screened at the four centres, of whom 1,069 were identified as victims of domestic violence, accounting for nearly two-thirds of those assessed. Around 15 per cent of the identified victims required admission for poisoning-related cases linked to self-harm attempts, while nearly 70 per cent reported physical assault, including sexual violence.
Deo said domestic violence remains one of the most under-reported crimes despite legal safeguards and institutional mechanisms. Referring to official figures, she noted that Punjab Police’s emergency response support system received 59,922 domestic violence-related complaints in 2024, while only 1,642 FIRs were registered under provisions relating to cruelty by husbands or relatives. She said this disparity reflected the challenges faced by survivors in approaching the formal criminal justice system due to social stigma, economic dependence, fear of retaliation and the complexity of navigating multiple agencies.
She emphasised that locating counsellors directly inside civil hospitals has proven effective because hospitals are often the first point of contact for women experiencing physical injuries or emotional trauma. The centres facilitate counselling, legal advice, referrals to police stations, shelter services and welfare schemes, creating a coordinated response system rather than relying solely on conventional policing measures.
Discussing the next phase of the initiative, Deo said efforts are underway to strengthen awareness programmes among adolescent girls and women, while structured training is being provided to police personnel, doctors, nurses and hospital staff to improve sensitivity and response mechanisms.
She said domestic violence cannot be addressed through arrests and court proceedings alone, stressing the need for emotional support, rehabilitation and pathways to self-reliance. Deo says, “The Saanjh Rahat Kendras represent an important partnership between the police, health department and civil society, providing survivors with a doorway to safety, dignity and hope while laying the foundation for a scalable model that could be replicated across Punjab and beyond.”
