The Delhi Police has solved the daylight murder of a woman in Shalimar Bagh by using artificial intelligence tools to enhance blurred CCTV footage, leading to the identification and arrest of three men from Bihar, officials said on Tuesday.
Among those arrested is a long-time fugitive who allegedly orchestrated the killing of a 44-year-old Rachna Yadav, a Residents' Welfare Association (RWA) president of her block. The police said the victim was set to testify against the men who murdered her husband in 2023.
Investigators initially struggled as available CCTV footage from the crime scene and nearby areas was of poor quality. "AI technology was used to improve the quality of the CCTV footage. Multiple AI-based applications helped obtain clear images of the shooters, leading to the identification of one of the accused as Nikhil," a senior police officer said.
Rachna was shot dead near her house on January 10. Police have arrested Nikhil (22), and two others, identified as Sumit (23) and Bharat Yadav (33).
Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ravindra Singh Yadav said a PCR call was received at around 11 am on the day of the incident. A team found the woman near a park in East Shalimar Bagh with a gunshot wound to her forehead. An empty cartridge and a bullet fragment were recovered from near the spot.
The victim was the wife of Bijender Yadav, who was also murdered in 2023.
Investigations revealed that the killing was linked to a dispute over a 250-square-yard plot on the Swaroop Nagar-Burari road. Bijendra and Bharat had issued threats to each other in the past over the dispute.
Bharat Yadav, one of the accused, was declared a proclaimed offender in Bijender's murder and carried a reward of Rs 20,000 for his arrest. Rachna Yadav was a key prosecution witness in her husband's murder case and was actively pursuing the trial.
During investigation, the police analysed footage from CCTV cameras installed near the scene and on possible escape routes, besides questioning passersby and examining the movement of recently released offenders.
According to the Special CP, technical surveillance played a crucial role in the case. Call detail records, dump data and IPDRs (Internet Protocol Detail Records) were analysed, and investigators also examined property-related documents of the victim's family to establish the motive behind the murder.
"It was during this process when investigators decided to use artificial intelligence tools to enhance blurred CCTV visuals. After improving the footage quality, police were able to generate clearer images of suspects on a motorcycle. One suspect was identified as Nikhil, a resident of Haryana's Panipat," the officer said.
Based on inputs and human intelligence, police conducted raids across Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar. The police tracked Nikhil and Bharat Yadav to a hut in Bihar's Katihar. The duo was apprehended in a joint operation carried out by the Delhi Police along with the Central Reserve Police Force and local Bihar police.
During questioning, Nikhil named Sumit as the person who drove the motorcycle during the crime. Sumit was subsequently arrested in Panipat.
The probe also revealed that Bharat Yadav had approached Nikhil a few days before the murder, fearing that Rachna's testimony would lead to his conviction in her husband's murder. "He allegedly conspired to eliminate her and sought Nikhil's help, who in turn roped in Sumit," the officer said.
Police said the accused used encrypted communication and frequently changed mobile numbers to evade electronic surveillance. The police have recovered the motorcycle used in the crime, which was stolen from the Subhash Place area.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
