Delhi Police unveils emblems for Finger Print Bureau, bomb squad
Police commissioner Sanjay Arora unveiled the logos and said that they symbolise the 'professionalism and dedication' of these specialised units.
Special commissioner of police (crime) Devesh Chandra Srivastava said that the FPB has been a part of the crime branch since 1983, and plays a key role in crime-solving through forensic analysis. 'The FPB currently maintains a database of over five lakh criminals and uses advanced systems like AFPIS, CRIS, and the national-level NAFIS to match chance prints lifted from crime scenes,' he said.
'The BDS, along with the Bomb Detection Team (BDT), was set up in 2002 and remains at the front lines of Delhi's counter-explosive operations. Equipped with state-of-the-art devices and trained in collaboration with NSG, BSF, and CRPF, these teams respond round-the-clock to bomb threats, conduct anti-sabotage checks, and secure high-risk venues,' he said.
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Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
MHA says more facial recognition CCTVs to be installed in Delhi
New Delhi Security is being strengthened in the run-up to Independence Day. (Representative photo) Select parts of Delhi will be covered with facial recognition-enabled closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras as part of the ministry of home affairs' 'Safe City Project', the ministry said in a written response in Rajya Sabha to a question by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Parliamentarian Saket Gokhale. It stated that the project aims to enhance urban security and surveillance infrastructure, including the establishment of an Integrated Command, Control, Communication & Computer Centre (C4I). The 'Safe City Project', funded by the Centre, aims to ensure technology-enabled enhanced policing and better security, especially for women, and costs around ₹798 crore, officials associated with the programme said. This involves the setting up of command and control centres, with facilities for video analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and facial recognition. The ministry stated that the facial recognition system will be used to monitor 'suspected persons/criminals', and that its operation is governed by Standing Order No. Tech. & PI/04/2022, issued by Delhi Police on June 9, 2022. In August 2024, Delhi Police procured 700 facial recognition CCTV cameras to ensure robust security arrangements for the Independence Day celebrations in the city. These cameras were installed in and around the north and central districts, especially covering the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his Independence Day speech, to monitor VVIP movement and keep a close eye on suspicious activities. Delhi Police officers said that presently, there are nearly 25,000 CCTV cameras installed by them under various schemes, including the Safe City Project, besides installations by other agencies, such as Indian Railways and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The city police's C4I has a facial recognition software (FRS) database of around 350,000 criminals with facial details. 'The 10,000 CCTV cameras that we will be installing under the Safe City Project will all be dynamic cameras on which the FRS can be run. Even now, we have the FRS software in our C4I through which live feed of normal CCTV cameras can also be used for identification of the suspect,' a senior police officer with the modernisation unit of the city police said. The Delhi Police has recently issued directions to commercial establishments in Aerocity, including hotels, guest houses, restaurants and petrol pumps, to install a 'sufficient number' of CCTV cameras covering a 50-metre radius outside their premises to bolster surveillance and enhance public safety ahead of Independence Day. The CCTV footage must be stored for a minimum of 90 days, officials said. 'The FRS helps us in identifying and locating high-value targets and criminals who are wanted by the law enforcement agencies or those looking for a safe haven,' said special commissioner of police (operations and modernisation) Manish Kumar Agarwal. The directive, which remains in force until September 2, aims to prevent crimes and strengthen monitoring in high-profile areas near the IGI Airport, which clocks heavy tourist footfall. A senior Delhi Police officer said that all establishments in and around the Aerocity have been asked to ensure their CCTV systems are in working order, and report any malfunction immediately to the nearest police station.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi court allows Uphaar victims to assist police in prosecuting realtor in passport renewal case
NEW DELHI A Delhi court has allowed 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy victims to assist the Delhi Police in prosecuting realtor Sushil Ansal in a case accusing him of fraudulently getting his passport renewed. (Shutterstock) A Delhi court has allowed 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy victims to assist the Delhi Police in prosecuting realtor Sushil Ansal in a case accusing him of fraudulently getting his passport renewed. The order was passed by chief judicial magistrate Shriya Agrawal of the Patiala House Court on Monday, allowing a plea moved by Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) under Section 302 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which allows a court to grant permission—other than to a police officer below the rank of Inspector— to conduct the prosecution in a case. The section essentially ensures that a complainant could participate in the prosecution through their counsel and assist the prosecutor, representing the police. The court said, '…it is observed that the association at the instance of which, the law was set into motion in the present case ought to get a right of assisting the prosecution, to which liberty, there is no bar in law…as opposed to being given the reigns of the prosecution itself, the Association is at liberty to assist the prosecution in the present case'. Sushil Ansal, 77, one of the convicts in the case pertaining to the Uphaar fire mishap, is also accused of getting his passport renewed by concealing his criminal antecedents and not obtaining the requisite no-objection certificate from the court. Following a writ petition filed by AVUT in the Delhi High Court, a case of cheating was lodged by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in 2019. In November 2007, a decade after the tragedy that killed 59 people, a trial court convicted realty tycoons Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil Ansal, among others, and sentenced them to two years in prison, the maximum sentence the law provides for causing death due to negligence under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In December 2008, the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction but reduced the sentence to one year. In February 2017, the Supreme Court directed the two of them to pay a fine of ₹30 crore each, for the construction of a trauma centre. While Sushil, who spent a little over five months in jail, was let off for the period already served on account of his age (then 77), then 68-year-old Gopal Ansal was directed to undergo one year of imprisonment. In July 2022, a Delhi court convicted the brothers in another case pertaining to the fire, related to tampering with and destroying evidence. The brothers were let off by the court in the case for the period already served by them during the pendency of the case. The case pertaining to passport forgery, where only Sushil Ansal stands as an accused, is currently at the stage of arguments on framing of charges at the Patiala House Courts. In its plea, AVUT, led by Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who lost her two children in the tragedy, represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, highlighted that the victims had been at the forefront of the battle for justice and had closely tracked and assisted all hearings in the previous two cases against the Ansals. The plea also pointed out several grievances in the Delhi Police's investigation and filing of the charge sheet. Meanwhile, Sushil, through his Advocate Gautam Khazanchi, opposed the plea, stating that AVUT had no locus standi to address arguments on charge and prosecute Ansal as they were mere complainants.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
VIP justice: Delhi Police solves MP's snatching case in just 48 hours
After scanning more than 5,000 CCTV clips and deploying 80 police personnel across three districts for a continuous 48-hour operation, the Delhi Police on Wednesday nabbed the man who allegedly snatched Lok Sabha MP R Sudha's gold chain near the Embassy of Poland in Chanakyapuri two days ago. A CCTV grab of the alleged snatcher. (HT Photo) According to the police, the suspect was out on bail in a vehicle theft case and has a criminal history of 26 cases of robbery and theft. Joint commissioner of police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain identified the accused as Sohan Rawat, a resident of Okhla Industrial Area. He was arrested around 6am on Wednesday near the BRT corridor, allegedly while trying to dispose of the stolen chain. 'The chain and the scooter used in the crime, along with four stolen mobile phones and another scooter, have been recovered from him. Cameras installed under the Safe City Project played a key role in solving the case,' Jain said. Another officer said Rawat was last taken into custody on April 16 for allegedly stealing a motorcycle and was released on bail on June 27. The breakthrough came when Inspector Umesh Yadav's team, which had arrested Rawat last July for snatching a woman's gold chain, reviewed CCTV footage and recognised his trademark appearance—full sleeves to hide a Shiva tattoo and the letters 'SN', and a distinctive nose. After confirming his identity, they traced him through his estranged wife and a close friend who shared his active mobile number. He was arrested early Wednesday near the BRT corridor. When asked whether similar efforts were made in other snatching cases—one of the most rampant street crimes in the Capital—Jain claimed that police presence had led to a '48% decline in calls related to snatching in New Delhi district' and that 83% of all reported cases had been solved this year compared to previous years. However, he did not specify how many of these cases led to recovery of stolen items. In south Delhi, he said, the detection rate was 65%, while calls related to street crime had declined by 20% this year compared to last year. While high-profile cases often get solved quickly, many Delhi residents without VIP links say their cases go nowhere. Rajesh Kumar, a 38-year-old security guard at an office complex in south Delhi, said his phone was snatched in Kotla Mubarakpur in 2024. Despite registering an FIR and following up repeatedly, he said he received no update. 'It's been almost a year. I went to the police station several times, but nothing happened. I've given up,' he said. Isha Gupta, 22, a resident of east Delhi, recounted a similar experience. Her phone was snatched at Jafrabad Metro station in 2023. 'I knew I wasn't going to get it back, so I stopped following up after a while,' she said. While police cite high solve rates in two of Delhi's 15 districts, there is no citywide data on the number of cases solved or the value of recovered stolen property. Multiple requests for such data from the Delhi Police have gone unanswered. From January to June this year, 2,503 snatching cases were registered, according to Delhi Police data. However, it remains unclear how many of these cases were solved or led to recoveries. In fact, available figures with the Delhi Police suggest that at least one snatching incident is reported every two hours in the Capital—highlighting the persistent threat of street crimes that cut across class, gender, and age groups. Investigating officers admit that snatching is still largely treated as a petty offence, with limited priority unless the victim is a VIP. 'Thousands of phones and chains are snatched in Delhi. The Delhi Police has a little over 85,000 personnel, but not all are assigned investigative roles. One officer typically has around 100 cases. It's not practically possible to prioritise a snatching case over a murder,' said an inspector, requesting anonymity. Although the Delhi Police releases annual data on reported crimes, figures on solved cases—especially for street crime—are not shared consistently. The last time the force released comprehensive data, including detection rates, was in 2022. The National Crime Records Bureau last published its report the same year.
