‘112 emergency calls in Karnataka can be anonymous’

A Bengaluru-based NGO providing legal aid and guidance said in a release on Saturday that it had obtained confirmation from the Bengaluru City Police that individuals reporting emergencies via the 112 helpline in Karnataka can choose to remain anonymous.

Dushyant Dubey, Right to Information (RTI) activist and founder of Broseph Foundation, had applied for an RTI request with the Bengaluru City Police.

“Our organisation receives numerous inquiries regarding the anonymity of complainants when reporting emergencies from citizens concerned. To address this public concern, I had sought clarification from the Bengaluru City Police by filing an RTI,” Mr. Dubey said.

The release said the police in their clarification had said that callers can opt to keep their identification anonymous when making a 112 emergency call. To remain anonymous, callers must clearly state, “please keep my data anonymous,” or, “I wish to stay anonymous,” during the call, the release said.

“It is mandatory for 112 operators to protect caller privacy and mask details when anonymity is requested. If anonymity is not maintained, the caller can escalate the issue during a feedback call after the complaint is closed. They can also provide a one-star rating and raise their concern with the feedback team. These reports are taken up to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the command centre for necessary action. This confirmation from the Bengaluru City Police is a significant step towards ensuring that individuals feel safe and empowered to report emergencies without fear of their identity being revealed. The ability to remain anonymous encourages more people to come forward and report incidents, ultimately contributing to public safety and security,” the release added.

A senior police officer confirmed to The Hindu that the police do not insist on the caller’s identity unless they want to convey to the caller that the complaint raised has been attended to. “If the caller does not want to identify himself or herself, we don’t insist,” the officer added.