A distressing incident involving a woman banker in Nagpur has brought severe criticism against the police emergency response system, highlighting how jurisdictional disputes cause critical delays in attending to distress calls.
The Friday Afternoon Ordeal
On Friday afternoon, a woman banker found herself in a terrifying situation in the Civil Lines area. A man flashed at her. Seeking immediate help, she dialled the nationwide emergency number 112 at 12:47 pm. However, her plea for help met with confusion and inaction for over half an hour.
Police records show that a constable from Sadar police station contacted her at 12:55 pm. Instead of dispatching help, the constable informed her that the incident location fell under the jurisdiction of Sitabuldi police station and advised her to approach them directly.
Systemic Failure in Police Response
This initial response has been widely criticised by senior officers. A senior police officer pointed out that the Sadar constable should have informed the police control room, which could have immediately alerted the correct police station. Sources added that the constable could have first rushed to the woman's aid and later sorted out the jurisdictional formalities.
A second call to 112 was made at 1:08 pm by another woman who noticed the banker in distress. This call was correctly routed to Sitabuldi police station. A constable contacted the caller by 1:09 pm and reportedly reached the spot around 1:15 pm, with spot photos sent by 1:17 pm. The constable's response time was six to seven minutes, but by then, the banker had left the location.
Victim Rejects Police Explanation, Similar Case Emerges
Despite Deputy Commissioner of Police Nityanand Jha meeting the banker on Saturday to explain the police's version of events, the woman was not satisfied. She chose not to file a formal complaint but firmly stated that police should reach any distress caller within 5-10 minutes.
Reacting to the report, city-based industrialist and patron of the Butibori Manufacturers' Association, Pradeep Khandelwal, shared a shockingly similar experience with TOI. On December 23, between 3 pm and 3:15 pm, his car was hit by a motorist near the Narendra Nagar underpass. The situation escalated with threats and abuse.
His acquaintances dialled 112 repeatedly between 3:15 pm and 3:30 pm. "Police kept calling us asking under which police station the incident happened," Khandelwal said. They received calls from Dhantoli and Pratap Nagar police stations, all denying jurisdiction. Help finally arrived from Pratap Nagar police 30 to 35 minutes after the first call.
These back-to-back incidents have put the Nagpur Police's emergency response mechanism under a harsh spotlight, raising urgent questions about inter-station coordination and the practical implementation of the 112 helpline for citizens in immediate danger.
