A sub-inspector who received the information rushed to the spot along with his staff and found the official with two alleged sex workers in various stages of undress. Subsequently, the officer was placed under suspension.

Several persons called up the same number located at the office of the superintendent of police in Kakinada and informed the police about the clandestine activities of brothel-owners. On the tip-off, police raided almost all the dens located at Peddapuram. Departmental action was initiated against an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police for dereliction of duty.

Thanks to the recent formation of ``crime stopper cells'' at all the district headquarters and three police commissionerates in the State, people have been coming forward topass on information leading to arrest of criminals. The system designed in line with that of an existing system in Kerala would provide complete secrecy to the informant.

A four-digit telephone (the number 1090 being common throughout the State) was installed at all district police headquarters and also at the three police commissionarates of Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The telephone connected to a voice recorder would automatically record the information. The caller would be given a serial number to follow-up on the progress of his complaint. He need not divulge his identity. An officer of the rank of the sub-inspector would be manning the telephone round the clock.

The results have been encouraging, said Director General of Police H J Dora. Speaking to The Indian Express, the State police chief observed that people who hitherto seldom cared to alert the police about the criminal activities at their next door have begun coming forward.

Conceding that only a few ``grave'' cases werereported, he hoped that the system would start yielding better results once people understand it fully. Dora said that the identity of the caller would be kept a closely guarded secret. However, he admitted that mischief-mongers did misuse the facility, while a few others called only to take vengeance on opponents. This was established from the information received here from various districts.

According to reports from Vijayawada, East Godavari, West Godavari and Prakasam districts, the crime stopper cells in the districts were receiving on an average seven calls of which two to three were turning out to be fake.

``People should exercise their social responsibility in a faithful manner. The cells were service-oriented and they should not be misused,'' observed a senior official of the city police. The cell at Vijayawada so far received about 200 complaints. However, a majority of them pertained to minor cases. Following one such complaint in Prakasam district, a constable was dismissed from service forcreating nuisance in a public place in an inebriated condition.

West Godavari district topped the list so far with as many as 460 calls to the cell. A majority of the complaints were about sale of non-duty paid liquor. In East Godavari district, the cell had been sending shock waves. After The Indian Express exposed the flesh trade racket in the district, information flooded the cell leading busting of several gangs. But police were at the receiving end in the district as senior officials sought an explanation on the illegal activities.

The response was poor in faction-ridden Anantapur and Cuddapah districts. No significant case was reported from these districts except seizure of an illegal weapon from a person in Cuddapah.