CHENNAI: Four years since the Tamil Nadu police started uploading FIRs on their website, as per the directions of the Supreme Court, the demand for making the system more efficient and user-friendly has gradually been gaining momentum. Pointing out various bottlenecks in accessing the public document (as observed by the apex court in various judgments), beneficiaries of the initiative (lawyers, vigilant civil society members, activists, and journalists) termed the validity of a one-time-password (OTP) for just one transaction as the biggest hurdle.
They urged the police to either do away with it or extend its validity to one login session. Balaji Premkumar, a lawyer with the Madras High Court, said the process is cumbersome for someone who wants access to many FIRs every day. “If I raise a query by typing in my requirements (district, police station, and period), I can access the documents during the period mentioned. But, if I have to change a parameter, I have to start from the beginning, requesting an OTP,” he said.
A police officer told Express that the OTP system was suggested by the National Informatics Centre to ensure the server does not get overloaded, which may happen if there is free access. The officer said the grievances will be taken into account.
Clause selectively applied?
Though the Supreme Court exempted police authorities from uploading FIRs of ‘sensitive’ cases (related to insurgency, sexual offences against women and children), activists alleged the exemption is used as an excuse to not make public many FIRs, even if the cases are not sensitive. Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan said none of the FIRs registered by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) are available on the portal. “There is a blanket ban when it comes to FIRs registered by the Central Crime Branch, which handles various cases (sensitive and non-sensitive).
There have been at least two cases filed against our organisation. But, till now, we have not got access to the documents,” he said. A police officer confirmed to Express that FIRs registered by the Central Crime Branch can only be accessed through courts. Only deputy commissioners (in cities) and deputy superintendents of police (in districts) are empowered to make decisions on which FIRs not to upload.
Access only for complainant/accused/victim
Express accessed various FIRs on the portal and was able to log in only as either the complainant or accused or victim. When asked about it, an officer said the initiative was taken just to satisfy the court’s directive to help the parties concerned, and not meant for any study or outsiders.
PC Ramprasad, a lawyer with the Madras High Court, said there is a need to streamline the website. “We download scores of documents from the site. Much of the time, the site is down,” he said. Police sources said the portal will be updated in the coming months.