‘Pink booth’ in Jamia Nagar, all women police assistance booth
Jamia Nagar appears to have received its first “pink booth” in Batla House, featuring an all-women police assistance unit. On October 23, 2021, Hindustan Times had reported on the concept of “pink booths”.
DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan said earlier, only men were deployed in traditional policing beats, but now the Central district will deploy more women officers in such roles.
“…A pink booth manned by women staff has been set up at the Karol Bagh police station. This booth will cater specifically to women’s grievances, and the policewomen will take immediate legal action on their complaints. The booth is an attempt to provide a safe and accessible complaint redressal mechanism for women in busy marketplaces, eliminating the need to visit a police station. The purpose is also to sensitise citizens about crime and gather their feedback. The policewomen will additionally encourage women and girls to report cases of violence against them,” said DCP Chauhan.
According to the police, the aim of this initiative is to bring women officers to the forefront in traditional policing roles, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“Traditional policing duties such as crime prevention and detection, which were once considered male domains, will now see increased participation from women officers at all levels. They will play a crucial role in preventing and investigating crimes such as robbery, snatching, pick-pocketing, burglary, and organised crime,” DCP Chauhan said.
The move has been appreciated by female residents in Okhla, especially in crowded areas like Batla House Market as the pink booth has come on the Batla House outer road connecting Okhla Head to Jamia Metro Station. On a daily basis, a large number of women shoppers visit the market, and with the pink booth nearby, they are likely to feel more confident and secure in case anything goes wrong.
It is understood that women can approach the pink booths without hesitation, file their complaints, and receive immediate assistance from policewomen.
The Batla House Market Association, which has been advocating for a safer shopping experience for women, welcomed the move. Waseem Khan, a member of the association, said it is too early to say whether the booth will significantly reduce crime, but there is no doubt it will boost shoppers’ and residents’ confidence. “If anything goes wrong, people will know there is a place staffed entirely by women officers,” he said.
A resident of Batla House sai: “I appreciate the initiative. It enhances the sense of security for women — both as customers and as vendors. Women often have a keen sense of intuition and can quickly recognise when something feels off. While such situations are often ignored, the visible presence of police will give them the confidence to report inappropriate behaviour or lodge a complaint if necessary.”
Waseem also noted that the booth will be especially helpful during Ramzan, when Batla House Market sees a surge in footfall from shoppers across the national capital. “For years, we’ve been struggling to combat pick-pocketing incidents in the market. One of our biggest challenges has been that many of the culprits are women gang members.
With the pink booth in place, it will be easier to hand over such offenders to the police,” he said.
