Women can shake phone with Disha app, alert cops

The Andhra Pradesh government has developed an app to implement the Disha Act and help women and girls should they land in a dangerous situation.

The app provides two ways of calling for help: either by pressing a button on the phone, or if that is not possible, by simply shaking their phone five times. It will alert the Disha Control Room who in turn will alert cops.

The technical services of the AP police created the app that informs the Disha Centre personnel. They in turn will inform cops equipped with GPS vehicles to rush to the spot and assist the person in trouble or anticipating trouble.

“Videography will have evidentiary value during the trial,” said DIG Paul Raj of the police’s Technical Services. “An exclusive control room for distress calls from women will be set up, which will also track the nearest emergency response vehicle and automatically dispatch it to the location.”

Besides the location of the caller, an audio and video of 10 seconds during the call will be sent to the Control Room, he said.

The Disha Act is the first of its kind in India, which calls for an entire investigation to finish within a week and a trial within a fortnight after that (where substantial and conclusive evidence exists). The judgment, thus, is to come up in 20 days.

The state is equipped with two forensic labs, in Visakhapatnam and in Tirupati. A few more Disha Forensic Science Labs will be established with advanced DNA equipment, serology, biology equipment and cyber forensic tools. Exclusive courts in each of 13 districts are also being set up to exclusively handle crimes against women and children. Special Public Prosecutors will also be appointed.

AP has 1,349 police stations across all districts, including urban police districts, and these police stations will be equipped with facilities for women and children like creche, waiting halls, counselling rooms, baby care rooms and others.