14449 is helpline for complaints against police: Govt to Gujarat HC

AHMEDABAD: The state government on Friday told the Gujarat high court that they have decided on a dedicated helpline number, 14449, for people to lodge complaints against police personnel.

The state government said this in its affidavit before the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee, in connection with a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL).

Advocate general Kamal Trivedi told the HC, "The Union ministry of communications has intimated the state and service providers that the shortcode 14449 has been allotted to the state government as a dedicated helpline number to lodge complaints of police misconduct."

"So far, the helpline has not been activated by the concerned service providers, presumably owing to some technical glitches, which will take around 15 days to resolve," Trivedi submitted.

Trivedi told the division bench that once the helpline number is activated, it will be an independent helpline to enable people to lodge complaints of police misconduct and will operate round-the-clock like the 100 helpline. Krina Kalla, who appeared for amicus curiae Shalin Mehta, pointed out that the helpline '14449' will not be easy for people to recall and stressed that it should be a rhyming number.

Advocate general Trivedi argued that '14449' is better than '1064' - the helpline number for the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He stated that issuing special numbers was the prerogative of the Centre and assured the bench that the new helpline number would be publicized widely.

After the hearing, the high court scheduled a further hearing for February 15. The HC had taken up a suo motu PIL after an incident where police and TRB jawans allegedly extorted Rs 60,000 from a family near Ognaj toll plaza in Ahmedabad in August last year.

During the hearing, another case of extortion by policemen was alleged by a person who had come to Gujarat with a liquor bottle to watch the cricket World Cup final match. The state government had earlier come up with a couple of options, including extending the existing 100 helpline. However, Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee insisted on a dedicated helpline for complaints against police and TRB jawans. The court felt the number should be separate from existing helplines - 100, 112 and 1064 - for help from the police or to report corrupt government officials.


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