Hyderabad, Jan 21 (PTI) In a step to make policing in Telangana more accessible and compassionate, the CID is introducing a new citizen-centric system for the registration of crimes, including POCSO cases, without victims having to visit police stations, a senior official said.
Under the “first initiative of its kind” in the country, to be launched next week, in specified categories of offences, FIRs will be registered and the initial statement of the victim will be recorded at the residence or place of choice of the complainant, so that the victim or informant is not required to visit the police station, CID Additional DGP Charu Sinha said.
“It’s been set in motion. Training for our officers will be completed in one week. This (initiative) will be introduced from January 27 onwards,” Sinha told PTI.
In many cases, particularly involving offences against women and children, under the POCSO Act, offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, offences under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and offences under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, victims and informants are often in a vulnerable, delicate, or traumatic condition.
They may not be physically or mentally prepared to go to a police station to lodge a complaint, even though prompt registration of an FIR is crucial for their safety, dignity, and access to justice.
“Recognising this, the Telangana Police is moving from a station-centric to a citizen-centric model of FIR registration in such cases, by taking the investigative machinery to the victim instead of insisting that the victim come to the police,” the official explained.
Under the new citizen-centric procedure, upon receiving telephonic or oral information about the commission of a cognizable offence in the specified categories, the jurisdictional police (or any police officer in case of Zero FIR, registered irrespective of place of crime) will immediately proceed to the residence of the victim, place of offence, hospital, or any other place of the victim’s choice, and receive the complaint/report from the victim or any other person having knowledge of the incident, she said.
The complaint so received will be sent to the concerned police station with the endorsement of the receiving officer for registration of FIR.
A copy of the FIR will be provided to the victim or informant at their residence/place of choice, rather than requiring them to visit the police station, Sinha said, adding that, where necessary, the police will also record statements under sections 180 and 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) at the same location.
Simultaneously, the police will take steps to secure and protect the crime scene and physical evidence, and proceed further with the investigation in accordance with the law.
This initiative of on-site FIR registration takes into account the vulnerable condition of victims and adopts a strongly victim-centric approach, by reducing the trauma and inconvenience to victims, ensuring timely registration of FIRs in sensitive and serious offences and reinforcing public trust in the criminal justice system, she said.
SOPs have been made and provided to all unit officers to be shared and implemented by all SHOs across the state, Sinha added. PTI VVK GDK ADB
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