Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Mahila thana (women’s police station) in the city has been pulling out all the stops to reunite such married couples, who are going through a rough patch. Senior officials in charge of the Mahila thana told Free Press that earlier, women were the ones who often used to turn up first at the police station, seeking redressal to their marital woes.
These days, the landscape has changed slightly, as many a male have also approached the Mahila thana for counselling. Shedding light on the data, the officials said that in a first for Bhopal, a total of 150 persons, who approached the Mahila thana for counselling were males. The officials also acknowledged that the awareness regarding marital counselling has risen among the males too, who, in a bid to save their marriage from falling apart, turn up at the police station without much ado.
Several counsellors at the Mahila thana maintained that on an average, at least ten males have approached the women’s police station every month for counselling in 2023. They underlined that the initiative is a commendable one from such males’ end, who ended the stigma that the women’s police station is only meant for redressal of women’s grievances.
Sources at the Mahila thana, however, told Free Press that in cases where the married male is troubled due to his wife’s behaviour, no FIR can be lodged against the woman there, but all efforts are made to provide duly counselling to them. In almost 70% cases of marital disputes reported there in 2023, the arguments took place between the couple over petty issues, and the woman abandoned the husband to reside at her own house, who was then counselled and reunited with her husband.
Reconciliation not feasible in only 2 % cases: SHO
Mahila Thana station house officer (SHO) Shilpa Kaurav told Free Press that the Mahila thana is successful in redressing almost 98% cases pertaining to marital disputes. She added that only 2% cases are such, where reconciliation between the couple does not seem feasible.
