Punjab Police says Saanjh Rahat Kendras handled 1,069 cases in two years

Punjab Police's Saanjh Rahat Kendras, established to provide integrated support to women in distress, have registered 1,069 cases and screened 1,656 cases over the last two years, according to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. The police said the initiative has evolved into a community policing model that combines counselling, legal assistance, crisis intervention and rehabilitation services for women facing domestic violence and other forms of distress.

The four centres are currently operational in Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Punjab Police said the programme began with two trained counsellors at each centre and has since expanded with the addition of more counsellors to strengthen support services.

DGP Yadav said the initiative reflects the department's effort to strengthen trust-based policing by providing timely assistance to women requiring immediate intervention and long-term rehabilitation.

Case interventions

Highlighting the functioning of the centres, Yadav cited instances where the Saanjh Rahat Kendras intervened in cases involving domestic violence and medical emergencies.

In one case, a woman from Mohali approached the police alleging that she was facing physical assault by her husband and had received threats to her life. According to the DGP, the woman had previously approached the police in another matter and her details were already available with the SAS Nagar police team.

Punjab Police said the Saanjh Rahat Kendra immediately coordinated the response, ensured the woman's safety, arranged secure transportation and escorted her to her parental home.

Yadav also referred to another case involving a woman living alone who was admitted to hospital in critical condition. The Saanjh Rahat Kendra team counselled her to undergo treatment, facilitated her admission to PGIMER, Chandigarh, and coordinated medical care for nearly two months.

During treatment, the woman suffered a miscarriage. According to Punjab Police, counsellors continued providing emotional support throughout the recovery period and later assisted her in finding employment while also helping reconnect her with her family.

The DGP said such interventions demonstrate how counselling, police assistance and rehabilitation services can work together to support women facing difficult circumstances.

Awareness programmes

Punjab Police said the Saanjh Rahat Kendras form part of a broader framework of community outreach initiatives focused on women's safety and child protection.

Under the Jagriti Programme, Punjab Police Mahila Mittars have conducted awareness programmes in 12,482 schools over the past nearly two years, reaching 11,75,010 children in the 6-12 age group. During the same period, 76,299 principals, teachers and other school staff members also participated in sensitisation programmes, according to official data.

The department said its Women Help Desks have organised 69,329 outreach activities during the last five years covering subjects such as cybercrime, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, child marriage, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, drug abuse and gender sensitisation.

Special DGP (Community Affairs Division) Gurpreet Kaur Deo said the Saanjh ecosystem, established in 2011, now operates through a network of more than 530 Saanjh Kendras across districts, sub-divisions and police stations in Punjab. She said the centres provide citizen-centric services while bridging gaps in access to counselling, legal support and police assistance for women in distress, adding that the Saanjh Rahat Kendras have strengthened the state's community policing efforts by integrating social support with policing services.