Criminal tracking network being set up in Tripura

Agartala, Jan 5 (IANS) A Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) is being set up in Tripura as part of a nation-wide project to keep tab on criminals and to curb crimes, a top Tripura Police officer said here Monday.

The CCTNS project, launched by union home ministry in 2009, is an advanced software application which would empower police organisations and help policing through the e-governance method.

"All police stations in Tripura have been inter-connected through Internet networks under the CCTNS," Director General of Tripura Police K. Nagaraj told reporters.

Tripura has 72 police stations, including four all-women police stations.

Nagaraj said: "After the BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) provides the connectivity, the system would start functioning immediately. In some police stations located in remote and inaccessible areas, VSAT (very small aperture terminal) has been installed to operate this system."

"The new system would help police to solve criminal cases promptly and share information with the police stations in and outside Tripura or with the national agencies," the police chief said.

"The director general of national crime records bureau, R.R.Verma has recently appreciated the excellent progress of work of CCTNS in Tripura as compared to others states in the country," Nagaraj said.

According to an official document, the Central government has approved Rs.2,000 crore to inter-connecting 14,000 police stations and 6,000 supervisory and related offices across the country under the CCTNS.

CCTNS would create a national data bank of crime cases and criminals and their biometric profiles. This database will be synchronized with databases of other agencies of the criminal justice system like courts, jails, immigration services centres, passport authorities, forensic labs, transport department and mobile companies in a phased manner.

Nagaraj said that due to the concerted efforts of the police administration and all stake holders, the conviction rate in Tripura has increased to 22.51 percent last year compared to 14.67 percent in 2013.

The overall crime rate came down by 12 percent last year and the militant activities have been largely tamed in 2014, he said.

"Since November last year, the Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalions and Border Guard Bangladesh have taken a series of actions against the Tripura militants who are hiding in that country or have set up camps there," he said.

"Camps of Tripura militants have been destroyed and huge cache of arms and ammunition seized in different parts of Bangladesh," the DGP said quoting reports from across the border.