Uttam Nagar residents caught in maze of police's administrative geography

West Delhi resident Vaibhav Chandaliya's phone got stolen near Uttam Nagar metro station recently. The 26-year-old engineer went to the nearest police station to lodge his complaint and thus began his ordeal.

He was asked to go to Bindapur police station from where he was directed to Vikaspuri. After visits to four police stations in two days, his complaint was finally registered.

Vaibhav is just one of the many living in the Uttam Nagar Chowk area who have undergone similar trouble.

The locality falls on the jurisdictional boundary of four police stations -- Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Bindapur and Uttam Nagar -- divided between West and Dwarka police districts.

The people living here have become victims of this maze of administrative geography about which lane and bylane falls under which police station.

It's all too complex even for the police when the people land up to get their complaints registered.

"Every inch and step makes a difference at that particular bustling intersection. It is becoming a mess for us as well as for the complainants. They have to face this torture. Due to the jurisdiction issue, one single FIR is registered at couple of places in different districts leading to increase in the number of overall crime stats," said a senior police officer.

The Najafgarh road is a busy hub near the metro station where policing is a nightmare.

"There are many places in the national capital which fall in different districts or police stations at the same place. The Delhi Police should update their 'one touch away' with a GPRS option following which a complainant would know which police station to go to. Making it easy for the complainant as well as for the police," said another senior officer. IANS