Simpler system likely to replace Bengaluru's FIR kiosk

BENGALURU: The country's first-ever remote FIR centre was opened with much fanfare in a city mall last November with a promise that there would be a hundred more. Not one, however, has opened since. Reason: High cost and cumbersome process of filing complaints. The computer wing of the department has now taken upon itself the task of introducing a simpler, cost-effective method of remotely filing complaints.

With the existing kiosk, a digitally designed FIR is generated based on a verified complaint. The complaint is then sent to the traffic management centre, then to the Vidhana Soudha police station which relays it to the jurisdictional police station.

Additional DGP (Police Computer Wing) Bhaskar Rao has proposed a system where a complaint is directly transferred to the respective station, avoiding the roundabout. "This can be done with just an internet-enabled computer, a printer and a police constable to guide the complainants," Rao told ET. The cost of one FIR kiosk, such as the one in Malleswaram, costs about Rs 25 lakh. "We can do the same in less than Rs 1 lakh," he said.

"We have sent a proposal to the government on opening such FIR centres across the city. With the new centres, complaints will be sent immediately to the respective police stations, and a copy of the FIR will be printed out or emailed," Rao said.