Varanasi (UP), May 27 (IANS): Varanasi police have launched 'Operation Dastak' to keep a check on the activities of criminals having a criminal background.

Under this drive, the police will visit the places of each and every criminal to verify their details. The policemen will carry the digital dossier of criminals in their smartphone by downloading the app which is being developed.

According to commissioner of police, A. Satish Ganesh, "We have digitalized the records of 157 killers, 51 dacoits, 380 looters, five kidnappers, 518 burglars, 1,164 vehicle lifters, 153 chain snatchers and 338 gangsters. These are the records of those criminals who have remained active in the world of crime in the past five years. Their entire criminal history and personal details have been uploaded with their latest photographs in digital form."

The verification of all these criminals has been started by the police stations concerned, by sending police teams at the places of each of the criminals.

With the beginning of verification of criminals, the process of developing an app is also in progress. This app will be downloaded by the policemen on their phones with given login ID and password, he added.

The police commissioner said that since the criminals are changing their style of operation with technological developments, a new system for tracking them is also being developed accordingly.

This 'Operation Dastak', he said, will be conducted in three phases.

In initial phase, policemen will reach the place of each criminal for documentation. This move will build psychological pressure on the criminal.

It will be followed by effective action against them. He added that with the progress in this operation, further details on more professional criminals will be included and updated on this app.