Delhi Police Facial Recognition System Raises Questions After 25 Accused Found to Be in Jail During Jantar Mantar Protest
New Delhi, September 4, 2026: Serious questions have been raised over the use and accuracy of the Delhi Police’s Facial Recognition System (FRS) after an investigation found that at least 25 people identified by the system as being present at a Jantar Mantar protest were actually in jail at the time, according to an investigation by The Indian Express.
The Delhi Police had told the Supreme Court that its Facial Recognition System had identified 2,873 people at the protest between July 20 and 26 who allegedly had criminal records.
However, an investigation based on police, prison and court records reportedly found that at least 25 of those identified were behind bars during the relevant period.
Delhi Police Identified 2,873 People
According to the Delhi Police affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court, the Facial Recognition System identified 2,873 people during the student protest at Jantar Mantar.
Of these:
- 2,402 people were reportedly identified through the Delhi Police’s biometric database, known as “Crime Kundli”.
- 471 people were identified based on their criminal records.
- Among the 2,873 people, 205 were linked to serious criminal cases, according to the police.
The 205 serious cases reportedly included:
- 101 murder cases
- 61 rape cases
- 6 cases under the POCSO Act
- 37 attempted murder cases
However, the police affidavit did not clearly establish whether all the identified individuals were accused in those cases, convicted persons or simply people whose names appeared in criminal cases.
Investigation Finds 25 People Were in Jail
According to The Indian Express investigation, records showed that at least 25 people from the serious-crime category were actually incarcerated when the Facial Recognition System allegedly identified them at Jantar Mantar.
The 25 cases reportedly included:
- 17 murder-related cases
- 4 rape and POCSO-related cases
- 4 attempted murder cases
The individuals were reportedly being held in Delhi’s Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini prisons.
Three of them were allegedly identified by the FRS on July 24, 21 on July 25 and one on July 26—the final day of the protest.
Yogesh Alias Raju Case Raises Questions
One of the cases highlighted in the investigation involves Yogesh alias Raju, who has been accused in the murder case of Greater Kailash gym owner Nadir Shah.
According to prison records cited in the investigation, Yogesh had been in custody since 2024.
However, the Delhi Police’s FRS data reportedly showed that he was identified at the protest site on July 25 at around 4:24 pm.
The apparent contradiction between the prison records and the facial-recognition data has raised questions about how the system generated and verified its matches.
How Does Delhi Police’s Facial Recognition System Work?
The Delhi Police uses Facial Recognition System technology to compare faces captured by cameras with photographs and information available in its databases.
Such systems can be deployed during large public gatherings and major events.
The system generates potential matches when a person’s facial features appear similar to records in the police database.
However, a facial-recognition match does not necessarily establish that the person was physically present at a particular location.
The Delhi Police has stated that action should not be taken solely on the basis of an FRS match. Field-level verification is required to establish the identity of the person and verify the relevant criminal record.
Police Says Verification Is Still Underway
Responding to questions about the investigation, the Delhi Police reportedly maintained that the 2,873 people were initially identified as persons who appeared to have criminal antecedents.
The police also indicated that further verification was required.
This means that the FRS identification was not necessarily intended to be treated as final proof of a person’s presence at the protest.
Supreme Court and the Jantar Mantar Protest
The issue relates to student protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET examination controversy.
The Supreme Court later cancelled the FIRs registered in connection with the protest while allowing the authorities to proceed with verification concerning individuals who were separately identified as having previous criminal records.
The use of facial-recognition technology during protests has also raised broader questions concerning privacy, surveillance, accuracy and the use of biometric databases.
Why This Case Matters
The discovery that 25 people identified through facial recognition were reportedly in prison at the relevant time highlights the importance of independently verifying automated technology-based identification.
Facial recognition can be a useful investigative tool, but potential matches need to be checked against reliable records before they are treated as evidence.
The Delhi Police’s ongoing verification will therefore be important in determining whether these apparent mismatches were caused by technical limitations, database issues, errors in the identification process or other factors.
Source: The Indian Express investigation and details from the Delhi Police affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court.
Disclaimer: This report is based on publicly reported information. Being named or identified in connection with a criminal case does not by itself mean that a person has been convicted of an offence.
