New Delhi: Police Friday said they have been using facial recognition system (FRS) technology for several years to carry out law and order duties and during large public gatherings, adding that the system is used only to identify wanted criminals and suspects whose details are already available in their databases. The clarification came after the use of the technology at the Jantar Mantar protest site drew sharp criticism. Four FRS-equipped vehicles are currently deployed in and around Jantar Mantar to monitor anti-social elements. Fitted with 360-degree cameras, the vehicles scan crowds in real time and automatically alert police teams whenever a person’s facial features match those of anyone in the police database of more than two lakh suspected criminals. Officials said alerts are generated only when such a match is detected. Apart from these mobile units, nearly 100 cameras equipped with facial recognition technology are installed across New Delhi district. Police said the system has helped identify at least 60 persons whose facial features matched records in the database and who are suspected to have criminal backgrounds. “The use of FRS cameras is a standard security practice during major public gatherings and events in the capital. Similar systems are routinely deployed during Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations, as well as during major festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid and Ramlila,” a police officer said. Police said the technology was not deployed to spy on Jantar Mantar protesters or collect their personal details, but solely to identify anti-social elements and wanted criminals attempting to infiltrate large gatherings. Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based X handles that have been blocked had circulated a string of mischievous claims, including faking deaths of protesters, police said. They circulated fabricated videos featuring individuals falsely posing as Army and police personnel, spread misinformation about PM and shared deepfake videos purportedly depicting Delhi Police personnel, according to police. In one such fake post, it was falsely claimed that seven protesters had been killed and 391 others injured. These types of claims had garnered thousands of likes and reposts and were stirring public sentiment, said police. Police also continued its crackdown on misinformation, debunking a fabricated newspaper clipping that falsely claimed the death of Abhijeet Dipke. On Friday, a man claiming to be an Uttarakhand Police constable joined the protest and announced his resignation from the stage. However, police said he had already been suspended on July 20 and that dismissal proceedings had already been initiated against him. He was also found involved in a cheating case and had been jailed for two months. In another case, police dismissed as false a viral claim that a Delhi Police sub-inspector had resigned to join the protest. Officials said the individual was not a Delhi Police officer but a Delhi Home Guards volunteer who has since been discharged from service.
