Police academy chief leads panel to draft Disha Act
Committee has 10-day deadline to submit report
Moving one step closer towards legislating an Act akin to the Disha Act passed by Andhra Pradesh, to check atrocities against women, the Maharashtra government has constituted a committee to prepare a draft. Senior Indian Police Service officer and in-charge of the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA) Aswati Dorje has been appointed as the head of this committee.
"The committee has been asked to submit its report in the next 10 days," tweeted Satej Patil, minister of state for home, sharing a tweet of the government order. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had visited Andhra Pradesh on February 20 to study their Disha Act. On Sunday, Deshmukh announced that a committee would be set up to prepare the draft of a similar legislation. "The committee will submit its report by March 30," he had then said. But on Tuesday, his deputy Patil tweeted about the appointment of a committee with a 10-day deadline. Dorje, special inspector general and currently director of the MPA, Nashik, will head this committee. She is the daughter of well-known Malayalam film producer and director Adoor Gopalkrishnan. Niyati Thaker Dave, deputy police commissioner, Zone 5, Mumbai, has been appointed a member of this committee.
She has worked in Parbhani and Chandrapur as district superintendent of police. V M Bhat, deputy secretary in the home department has been appointed the secretary of this committee.
"If needed, this committee can appoint one member from a citizens group or any legal expert as a member. If anyone has a suggestion about this Act, they can email me at satejpatiloffice@gmail.com," Patil tweeted.