AI helps cops come face-to-face with criminals

New Delhi: Armed with facial recognition system (FRS), Delhi Police has lately made breakthroughs in burglary cases that have been tough to crack. In the past two days, police relied on the FRS software to crack two burglary cases.In one of the cases, FRS helped in solving theft of jewellery and cash in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, leading to the arrest of two men, Imran (28) and Sachin Verma (36), and the recovery of Rs 5.87 lakh along with valuable items, including diamonds and pearls.According to police, the incident came to light on Feb 16 when the complainant reported that someone broke into his house and stole gold items. DCP (north-west) Bhisham Singh said, "Our police team analysed CCTV footage thoroughly, obtained a clear picture of the suspect, and employed FRS to identify the suspect, Imran. This technology allowed us to match his face with our database and track him down to his village in UP."During interrogation, Imran confessed to selling the stolen jewellery to Sachin, a goldsmith from Hapur, for Rs 8 lakh. Police recovered Rs 5.87 lakh in cash from Imran's house, along with the clothes and shoes he wore during the crime. Cops also arrested Sachin and recovered diamonds and pearls that he extracted from the stolen jewellery.In another burglary case, cops solved a theft in Shalimar Bagh within 24 hours, using FRS to identify the suspect, leading to the arrest of Chandan (38) and recovery of stolen cash and a stolen scooter used in the crime."The burglary occurred on Feb 24 between 1.30 pm and 3 pm when the criminal broke through three layers of locks at Ashok Kapoor's residence and stole Rs 80,000 in cash and gold jewellery," DCP Bhisham Singh said.A police team scrutinised CCTV footage, which showed two individuals on a scooter near the crime scene. One of them entered the house by breaking the locks."We identified the scooter's registration number, which was found to be stolen and reported in an e-FIR at Tilak Nagar police station. Using FRS technology, we matched the suspect's face with Chandan, a resident of Jawalapuri," said a senior police officer.During questioning, Chandan implicated his associate, Govinda, who is absconding. Police revealed that Chandan has a history of involvement in four heinous crimes, including murder, dacoity, and burglary. Efforts are underway to arrest his associate.Delhi reported 6,189 cases of burglary in 2022. This increased to 6,916 in 2023, while in 2024 (till Aug), the number stood at 5,735, Delhi Police data revealed.