Uttarakhand Police begin massive statewide verification drive to curb illegal stay

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], February 15 (ANI): The Uttarakhand Police has launched a statewide intensive verification drive under the directions of Director General of Police Deepam Seth to strengthen law and order and keep a close watch on suspicious individuals, officials said on Saturday.
The Police Headquarters, Office of the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, told ANI that the special campaign will be carried out across all districts at the circle, police station, and outpost levels. The move is aimed at tightening surveillance and ensuring effective control over potential criminal elements operating in the state.
According to the DGP Headquarters, the campaign will focus on the verification of people residing in multi-storey apartments, ashrams, dharamshalas, rented houses, flats, paying guest accommodations, homestays, hotels, and guest houses. Property dealers, real estate agents, and brokers will also be verified, and tenancy agreements facilitated through them will be scrutinised.
"Strict legal action will be taken in cases where tenancy is provided without police verification or where shelter is given to suspicious individuals," the DGP Headquarters said.
The verification drive will also cover home delivery service workers, e-commerce platform delivery agents, security agency staff, cab operators, and contractors working in industrial areas. Identification and verification of personnel associated with various online service platforms, including Amazon, Zomato, and Blinkit, will be given priority.
Officials said that modern technological tools and central databases will be utilised to identify suspicious individuals. Data matching and analysis will be conducted through the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), and other central and state security portals.
The campaign will also target illegal migrants, particularly illegal infiltrators, Bangladeshi nationals, and foreign nationals overstaying beyond their visa validity. Strict legal action will be ensured against such individuals under the relevant provisions of law.
High-resolution CCTV cameras installed in residential areas, malls, shopping complexes, service centres, coaching institutes, gyms, schools, universities, transport agencies, beauty parlours, and salons will be checked for availability, functionality, and recording systems. Character verification of deployed security personnel will be conducted and necessary security briefings will be provided.
The police will also identify single residents and senior citizens living alone and assess their security arrangements. Mandatory verification of domestic helpers, caretakers, drivers, and other support staff engaged by them will be ensured.
During the campaign, district police, local intelligence units, the Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Special Task Force (STF) will coordinate. Collected information will be analysed, and coordination with other states and central agencies will be established as required. Special field teams have been constituted at every police station level, and a review mechanism has been put in place from the Circle Officer (CO) level to the Inspector General (IG) range level.
DGP Deepam Seth said, "This extensive campaign by Uttarakhand Police is being conducted to ensure the safety of women, senior citizens, and local residents. Along with monitoring the entire campaign, accountability has been fixed at every level. Criminal elements will be dealt with strictly." (ANI)