Lucknow, Dec 6 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police's "Ek Pahal" initiative, launched to encourage Good Samaritans to report emergencies and promote community policing, concluded after receiving 88,447 calls from vigilant citizens across the state, officials said Monday.

The campaign, which began on August 12, was inaugurated by Director General of Police Prashant Kumar and ran for 107 days.

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Officials said the number of calls made by strangers to help victims has increased in the state.

During the initiative, 86,341 of the calls were made to seek police assistance, while others reported emergencies to save lives and aid those in need. Notably, UP 112 honoured 20 Good Samaritans whose timely actions helped save lives.

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One such instance occurred in September when a vigilant citizen in Baghpat witnessed four men assaulting and abducting an individual. The citizen immediately alerted UP-112, enabling the police to intervene promptly.

The police rescued the victim and arrested two accused, Rahul and Lalit, both residents of Gurugram, Haryana. The duo was already wanted in a kidnapping case registered in Haryana, according to the emergency helpline.

Additional Director General (UP 112) Neera Rawat emphasised the initiative's aim to inspire citizens to be sensitive to others' problems and proactive in reporting suspicious activities.

"By acting promptly, citizens can not only save lives but also strengthen law and order," she stated, assuring that callers' identities are kept confidential.

Additional Superintendent of Police (UP 112) Mohini Pathak told PTI, "There has been a rise in the number of calls made by good samaritans to seek help for victims. During the 'Ek Pahal' initiative we registered 88,447 such calls with callers seeking emergency help for strangers."

The UP 112 on an average logs around 30,000 emergency calls daily, the officer added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)