Lucknow: To facilitate public participation in crime prevention, Lucknow Police has launched ‘Sutrasarthi’, a WhatsApp-based criminal intelligence chatbot designed to streamline the collection, classification and analysis of information related to organised crime.Developed on the Crime Branch’s existing helpline number, 7839861034, the chatbot seeks to harness technology to convert citizen inputs into actionable intelligence.The helpline was launched in April 2026 to encourage citizens to share information about suspected criminal activities and networks. According to police officials, it has received a positive response from the public, with several useful inputs being acted upon after verification. Building on that experience, the Crime Branch has now introduced the automated chatbot to simplify and standardise the information-sharing process.Through the WhatsApp bot, citizens can report a range of organised crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeit currency circulation, illegal arms trafficking, extortion, gang-related activities and other organised illegal operations. Officials believe easier access to the digital platform will encourage more people to come forward with information that may otherwise go unreported.The chatbot has been designed to guide users through a structured reporting process. When a citizen sends a message such as “Hi”, “Hello” or “Namaste” to the WhatsApp number, users are presented with different categories of organised crime from which they can select a relevant option.Once a category is selected, the chatbot directs the user to a Google Form tailored to that particular type of crime. These forms contain specific fields intended to gather relevant details. Police officials said the system would help investigators classify information, conduct preliminary analysis, identify significant leads and carry out verification more efficiently.Additional deputy commissioner of Police (Crime) Kiran Yadav said the platform would help police take prompt action against organised criminal networks.
