The Supreme Court’s decision to quash FIRs linked to student protests over an exam leak has put renewed focus on Delhi Police’s use of facial recognition technology after an investigation found that at least 25 people identified by the system at a Jantar Mantar protest were actually in jail at the time, according to police, court and prison records.
Delhi Police had told the court that 2,873 people with alleged criminal antecedents were identified by its Facial Recognition System at the protest site between July 20 and 26. The police has, however, said that no action would be taken solely on the basis of facial recognition and that any further step would follow field verification.
Facial Recognition Matches Under Scrutiny
According to a police affidavit submitted on August 17, the facial recognition system identified people at the protest whose particulars matched records available in official police databases.
The police said 2,402 of the 2,873 individuals were identified through its biometric database, Crime Kundli, while another 471 were matched through criminal records.
Responding to questions about the exercise, Delhi Police said 2,873 individuals were spotted on a prima facie basis as having criminal antecedents during the protests. It added that further verification was still pending.
A detailed examination of people linked to some of the most serious offences, including murder, attempted murder, rape and child sexual abuse, raised questions about the accuracy of some of the facial recognition matches.
At Least 25 Identified People Were in Jail
Records examined for 205 people accused of serious offences showed that at least 25 individuals identified by the facial recognition system at Jantar Mantar were in jail when they were purportedly detected at the protest.
The group of 205 comprised 101 people accused of murder, 61 accused of rape, six booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and 37 of the 62 people listed in the police affidavit under attempted murder.
Among these 205, records showed that 17 people facing murder charges, four accused in rape cases, including two POCSO cases, and four accused of attempted murder were lodged in Delhi’s prison complexes when the facial recognition system flagged them at Jantar Mantar.
The 25 individuals were identified across the final three days of the protest period. Three were flagged on July 24, 21 on July 25 and one on July 26. The records cited included imprisonment histories extending across Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini prison complexes.
Police Says Verification Will Precede Any Action
Delhi Police has maintained that facial recognition matches are only a preliminary step and that action against any identified person will be taken only after field verification.
The discrepancy between the system’s identification of people as present at the protest and records showing some of them were incarcerated highlights why further verification is significant before any enforcement action is taken.
The police affidavit listed a total of 2,873 accused across several categories. These included 101 accused of murder, 62 of attempted murder, 284 of dacoity or robbery, 61 of rape, six under the POCSO Act, 25 in cases involving molestation of women, 229 under the Arms Act, 135 in snatching cases, 19 in kidnapping cases and 67 in NDPS cases. Another 1,884 were listed under other IPC or BNS provisions and special laws.
The scrutiny of the records comes as the government is permitted to proceed against people identified during the protest, subject to verification, after the Supreme Court quashed FIRs connected with the exam leak protests.
Follow the Centre for Police Technology on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest developments in policing, cybersecurity, digital forensics, investigations, fraud risk management, and technology-driven public safety.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/policetechnology/
