Women's helpline and protection from domestic violence
Which number to call first, and how to reach the Sakhi centre, the police's women's units, protection under the domestic violence law and free legal aid.
For whom: Women in Telangana 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 12)
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 or 100. Dial 112 gives police, medical and fire emergency help, 24 hours a day.
📞 By phone
2.
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 Sakhi centre, a hospital or the Legal Services Authority.
📞 By phone
💰 Fee: Free · Toll-free number
I am helping her (family, friend, neighbour)
3.
You can call 181 yourself on her behalf. Tell them what is happening and where she is.
📞 By phone
4.
Go to the Sakhi One Stop Centre in your district (if you are helping her, you can take her there). It gives medical help, help with a police complaint, legal advice and counselling in one place.
🏛️ Sakhi One Stop Centre (district)
Not confirmed: The department's website did not open today; we read an older copy of it. Call 181 and ask for your district centre's current address.
5.
If you have no safe place to stay, you can ask the Sakhi 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; for a longer stay they arrange another shelter home.
🏛️ Sakhi One Stop Centre (district)
6.
At the police station, ask for the Women Help Desk. It is run by a woman officer not below Sub-Inspector, with a curtained room for privacy.
🏛️ Police station (Women Help Desk)
Violence at home: from a husband, in-laws or family (dowry harassment too)
7.
You can call the Domestic Violence Module of the Telangana Police Women Safety Wing on 9440700874. It takes up complaints of domestic violence and dowry harassment.
📞 Domestic Violence Module, Women Safety Wing
8.
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: We could not read an official page saying who Telangana's Protection Officers are or where their offices are. Ask 181 or the Sakhi 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)
9.
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)
10.
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)
11.
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)
12.
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.
13.
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
14.
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
Harassment outside: on the street, in public places, stalking, by phone or online
15.
Contact the SHE Teams: send a WhatsApp message to 8712656856, call 100, or go to the nearest police station. They deal with street harassment, stalking, and harassment by phone or online.
📞 SHE Teams, Telangana Police
16.
Through the SHE Teams, an FIR or a petty case can be registered at the police station concerned.
🏛️ Police station
Sexual assault or rape
17.
Call Bharosa on 7382626437. Bharosa deals with rape, attempted rape and sexual assault.
📞 Bharosa, Women Safety Wing
18.
At a Bharosa centre, a woman police officer helps with the FIR. The medical examination, emergency medical support, a counsellor and legal help are there too.
🏛️ Bharosa centre
19.
For a free lawyer, apply in writing to the District Legal Services Authority in the district court complex. By law a woman is entitled to free legal aid; the authority checks that there is a prima facie case. If you cannot write, an officer there writes down what you say and takes your signature or thumb impression.
🏛️ District Legal Services Authority (district court complex)
💰 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 2
💰 Free · Toll-free number
Step 12
• 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 contact the headquarters of the Telangana Police Women Safety Wing at Lakdikapool, Hyderabad (WhatsApp 8712656858). Its website has a form for complaints that are not emergencies; in an emergency, call 100.
Women Safety Wing headquarters, Lakdikapool, Hyderabad
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.
If free legal aid is refused, you can appeal to the Chairman of that authority or committee, or to the Executive Chairman of the State Legal Services Authority.
Telangana State Legal Services Authority, High Court premises, Hyderabad