The Gujarat government announced on Wednesday that people can now file a “e-FIR” to report theft of their vehicles or mobile phones.
People can now register an e-FIR from their homes using the state home department’s website or citizen portal “gujhome.gujarat.gov.in” or the “Citizen First Gujarat Police” mobile app, rather than going to a police station, according to an official.
The facility is only available for cases, in which the accused are unidentified and there was no use of force, he said.
After uploading required details on the website or the app, complainants will be sent a confirmation through SMS and email, following which the application will be forwarded to the concerned police station, the official said.
A senior official of a police station will be required to assign the preliminary investigation to his subordinate officer within 24 hours of receiving the complaint, he said, adding that the complainant will be alerted through SMS once the probe is assigned.
The investigation officer will have to meet the complainant and verify the facts mentioned in the e-FIR within 48 hours and send his report to the police station in-charge, he said.
If the investigation officer finds the information in the e-FIR to be genuine, the station in-charge will file a FIR. The state government will take action against officials responsible if required action on an application is not taken within five days, according to the official.