New Delhi, October 14: Passengers travelling in trains can now lodge a complaint through a mobile app with regards to any harassment, theft, any crime against women cases. The complaint, which will be made through an app, will be registered as 'Zero FIR’ and immediately investigated by the RPF. The app will also have a panic button for women in distress. A senior official of the force informed that a pilot project under which any complaint can be lodged through a mobile application is already ongoing in Madhya Pradesh which will be replicated across the country soon.

"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," said RPF DG Arun Kumar. The report informs that the app will not only have the presence of RPF, but also the Government Railway Police (GRP) as well as TTEs and the train conductor. Indian Railways May Do Away With Curtains in Two Tier AC Coaches as Passengers Use Drapes to Wipe Hands.

According to a report by PTI, the complaint will be treated as 'Zero FIR' and investigation will begin immediately, Kumar said. It must be noted that zero-FIR means that an FIR can be filed in any police station (i.e.: irrespective of place of incident/jurisdiction) and the same can be later transferred to the appropriate police station. IRCTC Hikes Prices: Indian Railways to Sell Tea & Coffee in Trains For Rs 10. 

At present, if any such incident happens and the passenger wants to report, he has to fill up a complaint form provided by the ticket examiner which is submitted to the RPF or GRP at the next station. This form gets transferred into an FIR automatically. This leads to delays and passengers don't get immediate relief.  On 14th December 2017, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had proposed that railway develop an online mechanism to address passengers on board running trains. On this app, passengers can also complain offline.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2018 07:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).