Women's helpline and protection from domestic violence
Which number to call first, and how to reach the AP Police Shakthi services, the One Stop Centre, protection under the domestic violence law and free legal aid.
For whom: Women in Andhra Pradesh facing violence or harassment, and the family, friends or neighbours helping them.
Published on 31-10-2026. Not every fact has been checked against its official source yet: confirm at the office.
Answer a few questions to see which steps apply to you. The whole guide is below.
The documents for this depend on your answers: answer the questions above to see yours.
Documents you need
Needed only in some situations
•
Application to the Magistrate (Form II)
original
• Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too) (step 15)
If you don't have it:
The form is in the Domestic Violence Rules, 2006. The Protection Officer helps you prepare it, and must read it out and explain it if you cannot read.
Steps
Each box is one situation. To see only yours, answer the questions above.
1.
If there is danger right now, call 112. It is a toll-free number.
📞 By phone
💰 Fee: Free
2.
If your phone has internet, you can press the 'Shakthi Emergency SOS' button on the AP Police portal. It sends your live location to the Shakthi team, and the nearest Shakthi patrol unit is alerted.
If the danger is not immediate but you need help, call 181. It is free and works 24 hours a day. They connect you, as needed, to the police, the One Stop Centre, a hospital or the Legal Services Authority.
📞 By phone
💰 Fee: Free · Toll-free number
I am helping her (family, friend, neighbour)
4.
You can call 181 yourself on her behalf. Tell them what is happening and where she is.
📞 By phone
5.
You can send a WhatsApp message to the AP Police Shakthi team at 7993485111.
📞 Shakthi WhatsApp, AP Police
6.
Go to the One Stop Centre in your district (if you are helping her, you can take her there). It gives medical help, police assistance, legal aid and counselling in one place.
🏛️ One Stop Centre (district)
Not confirmed: The Andhra Pradesh Women Development and Child Welfare Department's website did not open for us, so we could not see the addresses of the centres in the state. Call 181 and ask for your district centre's address.
7.
If you have no safe place to stay, you can ask the One Stop Centre for temporary shelter for up to 5 days, with your daughters of any age and your sons up to 12. The Centre Administrator decides on admission.
🏛️ One Stop Centre (district)
8.
You can find safe shelters for women in your district, with the address, the officer and a phone number, on the 'Night Shelters' page of the AP Police portal.
Not confirmed: The page loads the list from the portal's server when it opens; we did not see the list itself.
9.
To get to a safe place at night, you can make a 'Night Drop' request on the AP Police portal. They send a vehicle to where you are to drop you at a place such as the One Stop Centre.
Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too) / Harassment outside: on the street, in public places, stalking, by phone or online
10.
You can send a complaint through the 'Give a Complaint' form on the AP Police portal. The form asks for the district, the place, a description, your name, mobile number and an ID proof number, and an evidence or supporting document to upload (PNG, JPG or PDF, up to 10 MB).
Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too)
11.
Tell the Protection Officer for your area what happened, by word of mouth or in writing. They must give you a copy of what they wrote down, at once and free.
🏛️ Protection Officer (domestic violence law)
Not confirmed: The AP Police portal names G.O.Ms.22 on appointing Protection Officers, but we could not read that order or any official page saying who Andhra Pradesh's Protection Officers are or where they sit. Ask 181 or the One Stop Centre for your area's Protection Officer.
• Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too)
• I am helping her (family, friend, neighbour)
12.
If you know violence has happened, is happening or is likely, you can tell the Protection Officer yourself. You face no civil or criminal case for giving the information in good faith.
🏛️ Protection Officer (domestic violence law)
Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too)
13.
In an emergency, tell the Protection Officer by phone or email. They must go to the place with the police, write the report and take it to the Magistrate without delay.
🏛️ Protection Officer (domestic violence law)
14.
The Protection Officer writes a Domestic Incident Report (Form I), gives it to the Magistrate and sends copies to the police station and the service providers. If you ask, a registered service provider can also write this report.
🏛️ Protection Officer (domestic violence law)
15.
You can apply to the Magistrate (Form II) for a protection order, a residence order, money, custody of the children or compensation. The Protection Officer must help you prepare and send it.
🏛️ Magistrate's court
📎 Application to the Magistrate (Form II)
⏱️ within 60 days · The first hearing is ordinarily within 3 days of the court receiving the application. The Magistrate must try to decide within 60 days of the first hearing.
16.
If you ask, the Protection Officer or a service provider asks a shelter home in writing, and the home must give you shelter. It may not refuse because there is no incident report. If you wish, it must not tell the person you complained about that you are there.
🏛️ Shelter home
17.
If you are hurt, the Protection Officer gets you medically examined. The hospital must give medical aid and may not refuse because there is no incident report. It must give you a copy of the medical report free.
🏛️ Hospital
Sexual assault or rape
18.
The One Stop Centre arranges medical aid and the medical examination at a hospital, and helps with the police complaint (FIR).
🏛️ One Stop Centre (district)
19.
For a free lawyer, contact the District Legal Services Authority or the Mandal Legal Services Committee. By law a woman is entitled to free legal services: advice, a lawyer in court, and costs such as the court fee.
🏛️ District Legal Services Authority / Mandal Legal Services Committee
💰 Fee: Free
20.
You can also apply for free legal aid online on the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) portal, and track the application there.
You can also call the legal services helpline 15100 (toll-free).
📞 By phone
💰 Fee: Free
Fees and time limits
Step 1
💰 Free
Step 3
💰 Free · Toll-free number
Step 15
• Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too)
⏱️ within 60 days · The first hearing is ordinarily within 3 days of the court receiving the application. The Magistrate must try to decide within 60 days of the first hearing.
Step 19
💰 Free
Step 20
💰 Free
Step 21
💰 Free
If something goes wrong
If it is rejected
If you get no help at the police station, you can send a complaint through the 'Give a Complaint' form on the AP Police portal, or a WhatsApp message to the Shakthi team at 7993485111. In an emergency, call 112.
If the person breaks a protection order, report it to the Protection Officer in writing, signed, or complain directly to the police or the Magistrate. A breach is dealt with as a cognizable offence, and if you ask for help the Protection Officer must rescue you at once with the local police.