RoboCop 'ASC Arjun' identifies criminal through facial recognition, aids Visakhapatnam police in arrest
NEW DELHI: Indian Railways’ AI-powered RoboCop deployed at Visakhapatnam railway station played a key role in apprehending a habitual offender and his accomplice on Monday.
On Tuesday, the Railways stated that the Rail Robocop “ASC Arjun,” deployed for surveillance and patrolling, identified a suspect by matching his facial image with a pre-loaded database of known criminals. The system instantly alerted the RPF CCTV Control Room at Visakhapatnam.
Following the alert, on-duty CCTV staff Head Constable B S Narayana examined the live CCTV feed and immediately informed the on-duty officer, Sub Inspector V Keerthi Reddy, along with the Crime Prevention Detention Squad (CPDS) team of Waltair Division present at the station.
Responding swiftly, the team carried out a coordinated check and successfully apprehended a habitual offender, Hadapa Shiva (39 years), along with his associate G Bhangaru.
Both individuals failed to produce valid journey tickets and were taken to the RPF Post, Visakhapatnam, for further action.
Verification of their antecedents revealed that both were hardcore habitual offenders with extensive criminal records registered at Rayagada Police Station, involving multiple serious offences over the years, including theft, robbery, dacoity, assault and arms-related cases.
The apprehension was immediately reported to GRP Visakhapatnam, and a joint interrogation was conducted by teams from the RPF and GRP.
After detailed enquiry, it was found that the suspects had entered the station premises without valid authority and were detected at the entry point itself by the AI-enabled Facial Recognition System of Rail Robocop “ASC Arjun.”
As both offenders were travelling without tickets, action was taken against them under the provisions of the Indian Railways Act, 1989 (Amended 2003). The matter was also intimated to Rayagada Police for further necessary action.
Appreciating the achievement of Rail Robocop ASC Arjun, the General Manager, East Coast Railway, Parmeshwar Funkwal, said that the incident demonstrated the effectiveness of technological interventions in enhancing passenger security.
Encouraged by the positive outcome at Visakhapatnam Railway Station, East Coast Railway will continue to explore and expand the use of such advanced security solutions for the benefit of passengers.