Digital age goes for a hit as militancy makes a come back

The carrying of cell phones into the police stations has been banned here even as government has been making tall claims of connecting the people through digital means and about fast delivery of services.

At most of the police stations in South Kashmir the visitors are barred from carrying the cell phones inside the police stations. A visit to Kakapora police post, where recently a Jammu and Kashmir bank branch was looted by unidentified gunmen, as well as the police station Pulwama revealed that the visitors were being strictly prohibited from taking the cell phones inside.

This is coming even as the government has been making tall claims of delivery of services through online mode and of even putting the copies of the first information reports (FIRs) on the police website.

The ban on carrying of the cell phones has come even as the digital means are being revealed as evidence in resolving crime cases in many Indian states. 

Outside the Kakapora police post police guards didn’t allow the cell phones and ask the visitors to keep the cell phones outside before meeting any official or lodging a complaint. Besides carrying out the thorough frisking of the people who come to lodge complaints at the police station Pulwama, police men asked the visitors to turn off their mobile phones or keep them with the security staff.

Residents said that such restrictions are only putting them through inconvenience at a time when the police have rounded up youth indulging in stone pelting incidents. Families of the youth visit the police stations to seek the release of youth.

“Police have been intimidating people and even arrested the boys. Not allowing the cell phones inside police stations is only acting as a hindrance for us, ’’ said a  resident of Pulwama.

The bar on carrying of the mobiles inside police stations comes even as the police have been claiming that it was working to ensure better liaison with people during the police –public meets.

It has been claiming that the police-public meetings are being held to address the grievances of the people. The prohibitory orders against carrying of cell phones has come even as the police have claimed that it has connected many of the police stations and the higher offices under the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) to modernize its apparatus for handling huge volume of records and information. 

Under the CCTNs police have claimed that the e-governance programme has been started which is aimed at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the “efficiency of police by ensuring digitization of manual record.’’

Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Rayees Ahmad, admitted that police have barred carrying mobiles to prevent the subversive activities.

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