How to report sexual assault in Mumbai

where to report

Go to the nearest police station and ask for the Crime Against Women Unit (Unit-I), which specifically handles rape, molestation and kidnapping cases; Mumbai Police's Crime Against Women Cell coordinates this citywide. Under the Zero FIR rule you do not have to find the police station where the assault happened, you can walk into any police station in India and they must register your complaint and forward it. You can also ask a woman constable to record your statement, which the law entitles you to.

what to bring

You do not need any documents to file a report. Bring a photo ID if you have one, and if you already sought medical care bring any medical papers you were given, but their absence should never stop the police from registering your complaint.

the exam window

Ask to be taken to the casualty or gynaecology department of any government hospital, which is legally required to provide free medical examination and treatment to a sexual assault survivor, including at hospital-based crisis centres such as Dilaasa (K.B. Bhabha and Rajawadi Hospitals) or Sukoon (Nair Hospital). Go as soon as you can and avoid bathing or changing clothes beforehand if possible; HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) works best if started within 72 hours, and emergency contraception is most effective within 72-120 hours of the assault.

the deadline

There is no deadline for reporting rape to the police in India. You can file an FIR at any time, even years later, and the one-year limitation period in the criminal procedure law does not apply to offences as serious as rape.