Kohima: Nagaland is set to digitise its police complaint mechanism, with the state police planning to roll out a new online portal within the next two weeks to make it easier for citizens to report grievances and follow up on their complaints.
Director General of Police Rupin Sharma announced the initiative on Tuesday while speaking at a state-level meeting focused on violence against women and children.
The proposed platform will provide a single point for registering complaints, irrespective of whether the issue eventually turns out to be a criminal case or a civil dispute. Once a complaint is submitted, the concerned police station will assign it to an officer for an initial assessment.
Following the preliminary inquiry, the police will classify the matter based on its nature. Cases involving cognisable offences will require registration of an FIR, while complainants in non-cognisable matters may be directed to a magistrate. Civil disputes that do not fall within police jurisdiction will be dealt with separately.
A key feature of the system will be online tracking, allowing complainants to monitor what action has been taken on their complaints. They will also be able to find out whether an FIR has been registered and access the police inquiry report where applicable.
The system will simultaneously enable senior police officers to monitor complaints filed across the state, creating greater oversight of how grievances are handled at police stations.
Sharma said the portal could be especially significant in cases of domestic abuse, stalking, child-related offences and harassment, where a record of repeated complaints may help authorities identify recurring patterns and take preventive action.
He also highlighted the need for greater reporting of crimes, particularly violence against women and children, saying that unreported incidents make it difficult for the government to understand the actual scale of the problem and plan adequate resources.
The DGP further warned community bodies, NGOs and customary institutions against attempting to settle serious criminal offences on their own, stressing that cases involving crimes such as rape and stalking must be dealt with through the legal system.
The meeting also highlighted the scale of cases involving women and children in the state. Social Welfare Director Tosheli Zhimomi said One-Stop Centres recorded 311 gender-based violence cases during the last financial year, while the Women Helpline received 144 cases.
Under Mission Vatsalya, Child Welfare Committees dealt with 640 cases involving children requiring care and protection in 2025-26, while Juvenile Justice Boards handled 56 cases involving children in conflict with law.
The Child Helpline 1098, meanwhile, received 2,632 cases between September 2023 and March 2026, underlining the need for coordinated intervention by the police, social welfare authorities, legal services bodies and civil society organisations.