Cross-connections confuse cops

Inspector Rohaildas Pawar, an in-charge with the Thane control room, said that out of every 100 calls his 20 operators receive, at least 40 are meant for Mulund police.

“We have been told to attend calls patiently. So even is there is a cross-connection, we take down the necessary details and then convey the relevant contact numbers of Mulund police or Mumbai police control room. That keeps the line busy for three to five minutes,” Pawar said.

Vinaykumar Rathod, deputy commissioner of Mumbai police (zone VII), said, “When a citizen dials 100 from a mobile phone, the closest and least busy cellphone tower picks up the signal and links the caller to the wrong control room. The technical error needs to be rectified,” Rathod said.

V B Chandanshive, deputy commissioner of Thane police (zone V), said, “There are towers on the border of the two commissionerates. However, regardless of the caller’s location, we take note of the matter under Section 154 of Criminal Procedure Code, which is to detail all the information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence.” Rajaram Vhanmane, senior police inspector with Mulund police, said, “In a moment of crisis, people instinctively dial 100. Even a five-minute delay could prove fatal.”

Shashikant Dere, a beat marshal in Mulund, recalled a chain-snatching incident that was reported near Swami Vivekanand Mandir. “I was notified and I rushed to the spot but found no evidence that such an incident had taken place. I contacted the Mumbai PCR for the caller’s details and it turned out the caller was from Thane,” Dere said.

The confusion gets compounded as the names of several roads in Mumbai and Thane are the same, the officers added.

rohit.alok@expressindia.com