A photo of the UPCOP application from Google Play Store.
Credit: play.google.com
An application developed specifically for tenant verification and filing of First Information Report (FIR) in Uttar Pradesh recently made headlines when netizens shared screenshots of a dropdown menu that shows 'hired killer', 'smuggler', 'prostitute', and 'drug trafficker' as professions.
The name of the application is UPCOP, which was primarily designed for verification of the tenants who seek stay in various houses in Uttar Pradesh. According to a report by Times of India, the application uses the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data to categorise offences under various sections of IPC.
A few netizens while exploring the details of UPCOP found the aforementioned tags under the 'tenant verification' section, and highlighted the same to the Uttar Pradesh police.
While the significance of these sections is yet to be ascertained, the UP police took note of these tags and wrote on the official X handle: "Thank you for pointing it out. The dropdown is based on master data populated by NCRB. Other states have also flagged this issue with the concerned agency. We are taking it up with them to rectify the anomaly."
However, TOI quoted a senior UP cop as saying that the UPCOP application's tenant verification option was created to assist landlords in data verification of tenants who avail properties on rent. The official further said that this option in the app sources all its data from NCRB.
"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 official said.
The application is available on Google Play Store. Once downloaded, the landing page shows certain options including 'Services' under which the tenant verification is categorised. Users can also use the app to lodge their complaints pertaining to cybercrimes— wherein FIR is must for insurance and recovery of the looted sum.
The UPCOP app also claims to facilitate employee and police verification while it can also be used to generate character certificates for individuals.