UP: Varanasi Police Range Launches WhatsApp Chatbot for Residents to Report Crime Anonymously

Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi/Lucknow, Through a new WhatsApp chatbot introduced by the police department, residents of the districts of Jaunpur, Ghazipur, and Chandauli may now anonymously report crimes ranging from illicit booze and cattle smuggling to drugs and offences against women, officials said on Monday.

The "Police Satark Mitra" campaign seeks to empower people to report illicit activity without worrying about their name being revealed.

According to an official statement, any resident of the three districts falling under the Varanasi police range can provide information by messaging the WhatsApp number 7839860411 or by scanning a designated QR code. The system has been designed to ensure complete anonymity, as the informer's mobile number and personal details are not visible to the police.

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Deputy Inspector General of Police Vaibhav Krishna stated that a simple message, such as "Hi," will activate the chatbot. The system then guides the user through language options and prompts to collect specific details regarding the offence.

"Citizens can report a wide range of offences, including cattle smuggling and cow slaughter, illegal drugs and liquor trade, arms manufacturing and trafficking, gambling, prostitution, and women and child trafficking," DIG Krishna said.

He added that the platform also covers illegal mining, extortion, police corruption, and forced religious conversion. Information can be shared through text, audio messages, photographs or videos.

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The police said the main objective of the initiative is to remove hesitation among citizens who may fear retaliation. The chatbot also allows citizens to share CCTV footage or evidence related to serious crimes such as murder, robbery or chain snatching. All information received through the chatbot will be forwarded to the office of the Superintendent of Police of the concerned district, as well as the DIG of Varanasi range. The SP’s office will then assign the information to a designated officer via WhatsApp. Details of the action taken will be shared through the system, and an automated response will be sent to the informer after action is initiated. The facility also allows citizens to report the alleged involvement of police personnel in illegal activities or corruption, they said.

For monitoring and analysis, backend dashboards have been created at the district SP offices and the DIG office. These dashboards enable the police to track crime hotspots and weekly or monthly patterns of illegal activities, they said.

The police have appealed to the residents of Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Chandauli to use the 'Police Satark Mitra' bot to assist in maintaining law and order.

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