Delhi HC dismisses PIL for removing IVR system from Emergency Helpline No 112

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) aimed at removing the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system from Emergency Helpline No 112.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, acknowledged the imperfections of the current IVR system but deemed it the best option for now.

The PIL, filed by Ganga Saran, argued that the IVR system was unnecessary and discouraged direct contact with the helpline.

While acknowledging the potential for improvement in the future, the court stressed the importance of the IVR system in managing the high volume of unintentional or prank calls received at the Emergency Helpline.

Data presented by the Delhi Police revealed a significant disparity between the actual number of calls received and the intended genuine calls.

The court noted the risk of system breakdown and neglecting genuine callers if the volume of calls continues to overwhelm the helpline.

The Delhi Police defended the IVR system, stating that it takes only five seconds for a serious caller to reach an operator by pressing '8.'

The court found this time reasonable and concluded that pressing '8' immediately after dialling would not hinder callers using either landlines or mobile handsets.

Based on these considerations, the court dismissed the PIL, stating that there were no grounds for issuing the requested directions, thereby upholding the use of the IVR system in Emergency Helpline No 112.