Panaji : To tighten the grip on criminals ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, Goa police have begun updating details in history-sheets in a new format, which will help police keep more effective surveillance on the history-sheeters.

Under the new format, police have started the process to record details on henchmen of criminals, their relatives, types of crimes they are involved in, the modus operandi, their residences and so on.

Such minute details will be recorded for keeping enhanced surveillance on the history-sheeters, a police officer explained.

Senior police officials have apprised police station in-charges that a full review will be carried out, and that history-sheets will be updated accordingly.

As there are only eight months for the state assembly polls, police will review the list of known troublemakers and habitual offenders; the law enforcers want to bring such miscreants under surveillance.

Police sources said that South Goa police have identified around 82 history-sheeters.

In the last three years, they had also moved proposals before the South Goa district collector against 10 criminals under the stringent National Security Act; the cases are still pending.

The NSA enables detention for a period of 12 months.

The police in North Goa had also identified over 80 history-sheeters and the list is being reviewed, the sources said.

Police will prepare a list of habitual criminals who could create law and order situation as well as threaten or intimidate voters during the assembly polls.

As a precautionary measure, names of known troublemakers will be referred to the collector for initiating externment proceedings and bond of good behaviour under the relevant sections of the CrPC, the sources said.