By Mumbai Police marked Friendship Day on Sunday, August 2, 2026, with a post describing itself as ‘that one friend who’s just a call away,’ sharing four essential emergency helpline numbers with the public.
The post read, ‘That one friend who’s just a call away. Always there for you. Always ready to help,’ and was shared in English and Marathi with friendship-themed graphics.
The helpline numbers highlighted were 112, India’s all-in-one emergency response number; 1930, the cybercrime and financial fraud helpline; 103, the women’s safety helpline; and 1915, the senior citizens’ helpline.
Friendship Day, observed on the first Sunday of August, celebrates bonds of friendship, a theme the department used to frame emergency services as a reliable ‘friend’ during a crisis.
Mumbai Police has a history of tying civic awareness messages to festive occasions on social media, an approach that has often resonated with users.
The post drew a positive response online, with several users appreciating the department’s creative way of highlighting important helpline numbers.
Social media users responded to the post with messages of appreciation, with several praising the department’s creative approach to reminding citizens of essential safety resources on a lighthearted occasion.
Friendship Day traces its origins to a 1958 proposal in Paraguay, and while it is not a public holiday in India, it is widely observed through gift exchanges, gatherings and social media messages among friends.
Mumbai Police’s official social media handles have built a large following over the years, partly due to their consistent use of humour, pop culture references and timely public safety reminders.
Mumbai Police has a long history of using festive occasions and pop-culture references to spread civic awareness messages, a social media approach that has repeatedly gone viral over the years.
The 1930 cybercrime helpline connects callers directly to India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal network, allowing victims of financial fraud to report incidents and potentially freeze fraudulent transactions quickly.
Photo by Nichalp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
