This story is from November 29, 2020

Don’t push complainants to use e-lost app, Bengaluru police chief tells staff

Police commissioner Kamal Pant has directed his staff to stop advising the public to file complaints through the e-Lost Report portal for cases like theft, robbery and attention diversion. He instead wants them to register FIRs in such cases and investigate them.
Don’t push complainants to use e-lost app, Bengaluru police chief tells staff
Kamal Pant (Photo credit: Bangalore Mirror)
BENGALURU: Police commissioner Kamal Pant has directed his staff to stop advising the public to file complaints through the e-Lost Report portal for cases like theft, robbery and attention diversion. He instead wants them to register FIRs in such cases and investigate them.
In July 2016, then police commissioner NS Megharikh had introduced e-Lost Report portal, with an intention to help people who face hardships in visiting police stations to file complaints.
The portal generates an acknowledgement, which can be used by the complainants for various purposes.
The app came as a blessing, especially in cases such as mobile phone thefts, where recovery is near impossible. These are cases where people are required to file a complaint as a legal formality to procure a replacement si .
The first two weeks of the app’s inception saw around 1,400 complaints pouring in. Between July 2016 and November 27 this year, the portal received 9,01,969 complaints. Of them, 4,89,001 complaints were made using the mobile app, while 4,12,968 were filed through the website.
A circular issued by Pant to additional commissioners of police, deputy commissioners of police and others in the city reads: “It is to clarify that with respect to all cases of theft, robbery, attention diversion, etc., proper FIRs should be registered and regular investigation should be taken up. Under no circumstances, complainants should be advised to register such cases under the e-Lost Report portal.”
Many senior IPS officers welcomed the decision, saying that in several cases, lower-rung police officials at stations were taking advantage of the portal.
“The main purpose of the portal was to help those who, for some reason, are not in a position to visit police stations, but want to file a complaint immediately and is in need of an acknowledgement. The portal was helpful in such cases. But the concept became an excuse for some police personnel at stations. Senior police officials regularly received complaints about cops at stations not accepting plaints. The aggrieved were being directed to file complaints on the e-Lost Report portal. So much so that people injured in mugging cases too were being directed to file complaints online. Such acts will tarnish police image. How will the public have confidence in police? Still, the portal is useful for those wanting a quick acknowledgement for replacement of sim card or for applying insurance,” a veteran IPS officer said.
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