Pramesh S Jain
The office of the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DGP & IGP), Karnataka,has directed all police units across the state not to summon women to police stations during night hours, reinforcing safeguards around women’s rights and safety.
In a circular issued to all Police Commissioners,Range Inspectors General,and Superintendents of Police — including Railways and KGF—the department stated that women should not be called to police stations after sunset and before sunrise for any inquiry or investigation.
The directive follows an order by the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission,which observed that summoning women during such hours is inappropriate and raises serious concerns regarding their safety and rights.
However,the circular clarifies that in unavoidable or emergency situations where questioning becomes necessary at night,the presence of a woman police officer is mandatory.
The order stems from a case reported in July 2024 under the Ranebennur Rural Police Station limits,where a woman involved in a dispute with her neighbour alleged that she was detained at the police station for nearly two hours during the night.
She approached the commission,claiming it was a violation of established guidelines.
In their response,police stated that both the complainant and counter-complainant were summoned as part of procedural requirements,including medical examination, and that the intent was to prevent escalation of the dispute.
However,the woman contested this,arguing that she could have been taken directly to a hospital instead of being brought to the police station at night.
Following the SHRC’s observations,the office of Debjyothi Ray,Additional Director General of Police (Grievance & Human Rights),has instructed all officials to strictly comply with the guidelines and ensure uniform implementation across the state.
The circular was issued by ADGP (Grievance & Human Rights) Debjyothi Ray on behalf of the DGP & IGP, Karnataka.
