Image Source: THE TRIBUNE

As couples are bound at home following Covid pandemic lockdown, calls from distressed women have increased at Haryana’s Women Helpline-181, but it is complaints about domestic violence that show a rise of over 32%. From March 23 to April 21, a period of 30 days of lockdown, the Women Helpline received 62 calls alleging domestic violence. “Otherwise, the Helpline receives an average of 46.8 calls of domestic violence in 30 days, which is based on the data of previous one year,” said Preeti Phogat, Women Helpline Manager. She added that the data showed a rise of 32.5% domestic violence complaints. “Overall, the Helpline received 108 calls from distressed women during 30 days of lockdown. On average, we receive about 100 calls. So, here also there is a rise (8%),” said Phogat. “Due to lockdown, domestic violence cases have risen. The husbands are staying at home. There is easy availability of countrymade liquor too. So, disputes between couples have risen. Also, clashes with neighbours and phone stalking are other cases which have come to light during lockdown,” said Priya, counsellor at WomenHelpline. During lockdown of 30 days, the Helpline also received 21 calls disputes with neighbours or family disputes, seven calls of verbal abuse or misbehaviour, six calls of phone stalking, four calls of physical hurt, three calls of cybercrime and one call each of theft, dowry, refusal of marriage, threat and mental harassment. But domestic violence forms 57.4 % of total complaints. In one of the cases, a pregnant woman was beaten up at her in-laws’ house in a Jhajjar village. She wanted to go to her parents’ house located in Rewari. But due to lockdown, she was helpless. She called up the Helpline. The police were then sent to shift her to her uncle’s house located in the same district in the night and the next morning her brother and other relatives took her along with them. In another case in Karnal, a husband injured his wife with a knife. Due to Covid, her medical examination was not taking place. The Helpline counsellor took the help of One Stop Centre-which provides medical, legal, psychological and counselling at district-level- and got her medical examination done. An FIR was also registered. “Physical abuse of women by husbands is coming up in a number of cases. It appears men are frustrated due to lockdown and venting their anger at wives,” said Ritu Rani, counsellor at Women Helpline. Haryana State Women Commission Vice Chairperson Preeti Bharadwaj said their office was closed during lockdown but they had received 65 complaints through email regarding abuse against women which includes dowry, physical hurt, domestic violence, desertion by husband, NRI matters. She added, “Our office also collected data from 22 women police stations across Haryana and police helpline-1091, where about 1,447 complaints have come since lockdown started on March 23 till April 9. We are tracking the disposal of these complaints.” Meanwhile, the Women Helpline received 2,191 calls from people who got stuck in lockdown and were asking about CM Window of their native states, where to get passes, asking for other helpline numbers working in Haryana, power and sanitation complaints, recharge queries, Punjab helpline numbers, transportation to their native state, and ration queries.