Mumbai, now dial 103 for help in 10 minutes

Call 103 and get a cop at your doorstep in 10 minutes. Well, this helpline number service for women, senior citizens and children has been around since 2008, but very few people know about it.

If you think that you were the only one who did not know about the helpline, then you are mistaken. A few months ago, two IPS officers were talking to a renowned Indian theatre personality and ad filmmaker. During the conversation, the ad filmmaker started criticising the police about their inefficiency to deal with the increasing number of crimes against women. “We told them about the 103 helpline number. He called the number and told the telephone operator that his daughter was being eve-teased and gave the address. Within 10 minutes, a police team reached the spot,” an IPS officer said.

The helpline service was first started in Thane in 2007. The Mumbai police started this service on February 28, 2008. In March 2010, the helpline number was functional across Maharashtra. “The Mumbai police is taking special efforts to ensure safety of women. After the Delhi gang rape case, it is necessary to deal with the culprits properly,” said Krishna Prakash, additional commissioner of police (South).