With Kolkata recently concluding the worship of goddess Durga in the mega festival, names of several women police officers have cropped up who hunted down modern-day demons and rescued women from trafficking and sexual violence.
Dressed in the crisp white uniform of Kolkata police, timely action by officers such as Tandrima Gupta Mukherjee, Barna Ghoshal, Sarojini Shoren, Meghna Kar, Manashi Karmakar, Minu Sonar, Kumarika Majumdar and Ratna Sarkar not only saved many teenagers from getting trafficked to other states but also led to the rescue of girls, some as young as three-year-old, from sexual violence perpetrated by relatives and acquaintances.
Take Tandrima Gupta Mukherjee for example. The officer had played a pivotal role in rescuing girls, who were scheduled to be pushed into the sex trade, while they were confined to a room on Park Street. She also arrested two women chiefs of the gang and put them behind the bars.
Officer Sarojini Shoren, while investigating a case in which a youngster was harassing a woman using a fake social media account, not only got her justice but also established proper guidelines for women to be safe while using the internet.
Meghna Kar and Manashi Karmakar saved a teenage girl from the sexual advances of her grandfather and another college student who was tortured by her husband after her love marriage.
Kumarika Majumdar rescued a three-year-old girl who was being sexually assaulted by a man. She arrested the accused, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment.
Several of these incidents that took place between 2011 and 2020 are sub-judice, because of which, the officers could not speak to the reporter.
In the last few days, the Kolkata police have uploaded several short videos depicting these incidents and lauding the officers across social media platforms. Netizens have also shown their appreciation with positive comments on the posts.
"Kolkata police is trying to protect women and children in the city. In these cases, our officers became Maa Durga and rescued the survivors. Women become an inspiration when they protect other women from modern-day asuras," a senior officer said.