Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Shivanandan has issued a circular directing all police stations to promptly take cognizance of complaints lodged by activists and concerned citizens.

According to the circular, when an activist makes a request for police protection, a threat perception report (TPR) will immediately be prepared and submitted to the police commissioner for a decision on the same.

“In appropriate cases, inputs from the crime branch will also be taken while preparing the TPR,” said the circular.

Also, every time the duty officer receives a complaint, he will inform the in-charge of the police station and will immediately register a complaint as non cognizable (NC) or First Information Report (FIR) depending on the facts
or circumstances of the case.

If the facts disclose neither a FIR nor a NC, the activist will be informed so in writing.

Senior police inspector of that police station will personally monitor the enquiry of complaint in such cases.

Local activists working in various public causes will be inducted into the police-public coordination committee at the police station level to ensure better coordination and to immediately redress local issues.

However, the activists in Mumbai are cynical about the circular. “It sounds good. But let us see how much they actually do,” said Krishna Raj Rao, Mumbai-based social activist.

“They say that the duty officer will inform the senior inspector and will register the complaint as NC or FIR. This never happens. The duty officer tries his best to shoo away the complainant or at best would lodge an NC on
which no action is ever taken,” said social activist G.N Vora.

Activists in Maharasthra are lobbying hard for protection to whistleblowers under threat.

RTI activist Satish Shetty was killed in January near his home on the outskirts of Pune. Shetty, 39, had exposed irregularities in land deals in and around Pune.