MHA asks states to link promotions of cops to their attitude towards women

NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked state governments to link postings and promotions of policemen to gender sensitivity as part of a holistic approach to tackle crimes against women. In a letter sent to all states on May 12, the Union home ministry said that attitude towards women should be a parameter that is mentioned in the annual performance appraisal reports of all policemen. “Strict action should be taken against policemen who exhibit discourtesy or bias against women or neglect their supervisory responsibility in this regard,” the ministry said. The advice came just a day after video footage of a Delhi Traffic policeman hitting a woman with a brick went viral, prompting the arrest of the policeman and eliciting expression of regret from the Delhi Police chief.