‘Drug smuggler’, ‘beggar’ listed as ‘professions’ in UP police's UPCOP app
The UPCOP app is used for filing complaints, reports and general FIRs, with the data used from NCRB to specify the kind of offences under IPC sections.
The tenant section of the Uttar Pradesh Police mobile app UPCOP recently caught the attention of many after multiple bizarre professions were listed in the verification area. Some of the professions listed on the app for tenant verification are ‘drug smuggles’, ‘gambler’, ‘bootlegger’, and ‘beggar’, reported the Times of India.
Social media users drew amusement from the rather different professions section of the UP Police, with X users uploading screenshots on the internet in hopes of bringing it to the attention of the authorities.
The Uttar Pradesh police eventually took notice of the screenshots on social media, and said that the authorities have taken note of the issue.
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UP Police posted on their official X account, “Thank you for pointing it out. The dropdown is based on master data populated by the NCRB. Other states have also flagged this issue with the concerned agencies. We are taking it up with them to rectify this anomaly.”
The officials in the UP police did not have a clear explanation regarding how this happened, reported TOI, but said that it could be because of the way the data was fed.
The UPCOP app is used for filing complaints, reports and general FIRs, with the data used from the NCRB to specify the kind of offences under IPC sections.
The tenant verification feature in the UP police app is used by landlords while renting out properties, and the database prepared for the same is sourced from the NCRB data, the official told TOI.
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An officer said, “UPCOP is monitored by the technical services department, which is headed by an ADG rank officer. NCRB data is not changed. Uttarakhand had flagged a similar issue in the past. Similarly, we will also seek necessary changes.”
The UPCOP app, developed by the Uttar Pradesh government, was launched a few years ago to facilitate smooth online services for police assistance. The app allows users to file complaints, FIRs and flag cases of looting and cybercrime. Not just tenant verification, but employers also use this for employee verification.