Women Advocates’ Safety In Police Stations: Supreme Court Issues Notice On Uniform Policy Plea

The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta sought responses from the Centre and States, returnable within four weeks.

The petition has been filed by Advocate Geeta Jain Aggarwal against the Union of India, the Bar Council of India and all States and Union Territories.

The plea urges the top court to frame a uniform national policy and standard operating procedures governing interactions between police officials and women advocates inside police stations. It also seeks safeguards such as CCTV surveillance with audio recording, digital entry systems, emergency panic-alert mechanisms, dedicated interaction rooms and independent complaint redressal systems for complaints of police misconduct.

Highlighting the absence of a legal framework specifically protecting women lawyers inside police stations, the petition states: “The Advocates, as officers of the Court, are an integral part of the justice delivery system and are frequently required to visit police stations to represent and assist their clients. However, in the absence of a specific legal framework governing their safety within such State-controlled environments, women advocates are increasingly exposed to risks of harassment, intimidation and abuse.”

The plea argues that police stations are spaces under “exclusive State control” and therefore impose a greater constitutional obligation on authorities to ensure dignity and safety. “Police stations, being spaces under exclusive-State control and possessing coercive authority, impose a heightened duty upon the State to ensure that no individual, particularly a woman professional is subjected to harassment, abuse, or indignity.”

According to the petition, the absence of accountability mechanisms and gender-sensitive safeguards has created a “serious institutional deficiency” which directly impacts the ability of women advocates to discharge professional duties without fear. “The absence of safeguards creates a chilling effect on the ability of women advocates to discharge their professional duties, effectively deterring them from entering police stations, especially during odd hours,” the plea states.

The petitioner contends that such conditions violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.

The petition relies on recent incidents involving alleged assault and harassment of women advocates inside police stations across the country. One such incident cited pertains to a woman advocate in Karnataka who allegedly faced physical assault by a police officer inside a police station on February 23, 2025. The plea notes that the Karnataka High Court subsequently directed registration of an FIR against the concerned police officer.

Another incident referred to in the petition concerns an Executive Member of the Tis Hazari Bar Association who allegedly faced physical assault by female police personnel, sexual assault by male police personnel and unlawful detention at Sector 50 Police Station in Gurugram while assisting a client in May 2025.

The plea also cites an incident at Sector 126 Police Station in Noida in December 2025 where a woman advocate allegedly faced harassment, assault and detention while representing a client in connection with an FIR.

Drawing parallels with the landmark Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan judgment, the petition argues that there exists a legislative vacuum concerning the safety of women advocates within police stations, warranting judicial intervention. It points out that while criminal law restricts arrest of women during night hours, there are no corresponding safeguards regulating police conduct towards women advocates who enter police stations in a professional capacity.

Among the measures proposed are mandatory presence of a woman police officer during late-night interactions, preservation of CCTV footage, appointment of nodal officers for advocate safety and periodic gender sensitisation programmes for police personnel.

The matter will now be heard after four weeks.