The toll-free number, 1091, a helpline run by the Delhi police for women in distress, has not been working for some time even as city authorities have spared no attempt at making the number publicised in the backdrop of the Dhaula kuan rape incident.

Meenakshi Grover, a JNU student and a daily commuter from central secretariat to JNU realised this to her horror when she tried calling the number one evening walking home. 

"I tried calling the number but it was unavailable,” she told Governance Now.

While the number is being flashed everywhere including the Delhi police, women and child welfare and national commission for women websites as also in DTC buses and metro, it seems to be failing its mission.

Grover said that her friends also reported a dead line when they dialled the number. "I am going to file an RTI against it and find out what the problem is. They have to answer me in 30 days,” she said.

Simran Lamba, a Delhi university student, recalling her bad experience with 1091, said," Once I called this number when my friend suddenly fell sick, but it was not available, so I called 100. The police officer who took the call said I should call 1091 instead of 100. Before I could say the number was not working he slammed the phone."

The police official in charge of overseeing the call to 1091 was however adamant the number worked.

“The phone is right in front of me. How can you say you can’t get through it? Sometimes you should try it with 011 before the number and you know you always have 100 to dial,” she said.