BENGALURU: The Bengaluru City Police has confirmed that individuals using the 112 helpline for emergency reporting can choose to remain anonymous, a vital update made public following a Right to Information (RTI) request by Dushyant Dubey, an RTI activist and founder of the Broseph Foundation.

Dubey, whose organization receives numerous inquiries about the privacy of complainants, filed the RTI request seeking clarification. In response to his query, Bengaluru City Police clarified that callers can explicitly request anonymity by stating phrases like “Please keep my data anonymous” or “I wish to stay anonymous” during the call. Once such a request is made, the 112 operators are required to mask the caller’s details to protect their identity.

In cases where anonymity is not upheld, callers have the right to escalate the matter after the complaint is closed, either by giving a one-star rating or raising the issue with the feedback team. These concerns are then addressed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the Command Centre.

This move to ensure anonymity is a significant step towards enhancing public confidence, allowing more individuals to report emergencies without the fear of exposure, which ultimately strengthens public safety and security.