Delhi Police will launch in the next couple of weeks a first-of-its-kind web-based application through which Delhiites will be able to register an FIR of motor vehicle theft online and track progress in investigation until a final report is filed in the court.
The work on the online application, which will also be available in the form of an app, has been going on for the past several months and technical and legal aspects have been discussed with the Delhi High court.
“Our ambitious project for a totally computerised system from filing of FIR to submitting of final report in case of motor vehicle theft is almost complete. We have got the desired help from the High Court. Now, we have to install the server and software in courts and we will be able to launch it very soon,” said Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi.
This is going to be a first-of-its-kind ‘FIR to final report’ application in the world where a person would be able to register his or her FIR on cell phone and also through the Internet, he said.
According to police data, theft of vehicles constitute about one-fifth of the total crime reported in Delhi. This is a major cause of public frustration and anger towards police, as people expect early recovery of their vehicle and arrest of the culprit because vehicle theft causes not only an economic loss but also loss of mobility.
The app will incorporate elements to keep the complainant informed of the efforts being made in the investigation process.
A time-bound closure of undetected cases (which happens to be the fate in about 90 per cent of the cases) with seamless acceptance of the same by a competent court is going to be a part of the system so that a person can file insurance claim on timely receipt of the closure report, police said.
Delhi Police has been rolling out a number of online initiatives to make policing more friendly and convenient. The first in the list was the web and mobile-based app for lodging of ‘lost report’ on February 27, 2014.
After the innovative ‘lost report’ application, a cell phone-based application was launched on May 8, 2014 to provide traffic related alerts and advisories, fare and distance calculator with map for autos and taxies, pit locations, emergency calls and complaint lodging facility for road users in Delhi.
Another initiative has been the launching of online issue of Police Clearance Certificate on August 8, 2014.
On January 1 this year, ‘Himmat’, a mobile application, was launched by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh which allows women to send a distress call to Police Control Room and their relatives in case of an emergency.
At the last count, more than 30,000 users are availing the application which lets women send SOS signals to alert Delhi police control room. And, 5,360 women have registered themselves with the Delhi Police for the facility.