Maharashtra Police set to launch online complaint site
e-initiative to ensure complaints are registered sans fear………Rahul Wadke
e-initiative to ensure complaints are registered sans fear………Rahul Wadke
Next time you break into a cold sweat thinking of filing a police complaint, don’t panic, help is at hand. The Maharashtra Government has created an e-complaint system for citizens to e-mail their complaints to the police.
Citizens can log on to the Maharashtra State Police online E-Complaint Registration Web site (http://gms.maharashtra.gov.in/CMS/).
They will have to select the district and the police station name from a drop-down list and then lodge the complaint.
Complainants will have to provide their mobile numbers and e-mail IDs.
The system will in real time send a verification code via SMS to the mobile number, which needs to be filled in by the complainant for authenticating the complaint.
The verification code also helps the complainant track his complaint online. If the complaint remains unattended for long, it can be sent up to a higher officer. Police officers too will be tracking the Web site.
Over 1,000 of the 1,800 police stations in Maharashtra have a computer and Internet connectivity, and the plan is to equip the rest of the stations shortly.
Mr Siddharth Agarwal, advocate, said no amendments to the existing law are required to take complaints via the Internet.
The law stressed on the nature and gravity of the offence and not on the medium of communication.
There have been instances, where First Information Reports (FIRs) had been filed based on complaints made over phone.
Dr A. B. Pandey, Principal Secretary, Maharashtra Information Technology Department, told Business Line that the entire system was ready for rollout, awaiting final clearance from the State Cabinet.
One of the major advantages of the system was that complaints could be tracked by police officers, Home Ministry officials and the complainant himself.
On false complaints, Dr Pandey said the chances were minimal as the cell-phone number could be traced.
For complainants who neither had a cell phone nor Internet access, the Government plans to kick-start 11,818 common service centres equipped with computers and Internet access from wherecomplaints can be lodged. A printout will be given to the complainant, authenticated by officials manning the centres.
Dr Pandey said the system had been developed by Mastek at a cost of Rs 3 crore. Operational expense would work out to about Rs 40 lakh annually. The main objective behind the e-initiative is to ensure complaints are registered without fear of discrimination, he said.