RPF At Your Service: Railways To Soon Launch Mobile Application For Passengers Requiring Police Assistance

Indian Railways is aiming to ensure a smooth experience for the passengers through its latest pilot project of filing ‘Zero-FIR’ on-board the trains. FIRs usually have to be filed at the local police station where the crime took place which makes the process cumbersome for passengers. But Zero-FIRs offer an alternative to those who are travelling, by allowing them to lodge an FIR online through a mobile application.

The FIR, once registered, will be transferred to the concerned police station for further investigation. This has come into effect almost a year after Home Minister Rajnath Singh suggested developing an online forum to address these concerns.

Railways Protection Force (RPF) DG Arun Kumar has been quoted as saying, “The passenger now need not wait for the next station to lodge a complaint. They will be able to complain through the mobile app and the RPF will reach to help them.”

As of now, supposing there’s an incident, the passenger has to file a complaint form with the ticket examiner which in turn gets to the hands of the RPF or GRP. The new mechanism ensures that the passenger enjoys a hassle-free service where FIR can be filed and gets transferred immediately.

The pilot project is being tested in Madhya Pradesh, and the app is set for a country-wide release soon. The app comes with a distress button that can be used in case of emergency and can work even without internet connectivity.