J&K Police Confirms Use of Face Recognition Tech in Detention of Carpenter at Pahalgam
Authorities have detained a carpenter who is listed in police records as an overground worker of militants (OGW) after he was flagged by a facial recognition system near Pahalgam where 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were gunned down in a terror attack in April this year.
This is the first time that J&K police have officially confirmed that it was using the controversial technology which was long rumoured to have helped the security agencies in profiling Kashmiri militants and their suspected sympathisers for counter-intelligence operations.
A J&K police official said on Thursday (June 20) that the suspect who hails from Seer Hamdan village of south Kashmir's Anantnag district was apprehended after being flagged by the facial recognition system at the Langanbal security checkpoint near Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam ahead of the commencement of the pilgrimage to the cave shrine.
Amarnath Yatra
Nunwan base camp is one of the two starting points for the annual Hindu pilgrimage which will begin from July 3 under the shadow of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and culminate on August 9. 'The individual is in custody; investigation underway. Safety of #AmarnathYatra2025 remains our top priority,' the official said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Sources said that the system has been pre-fed with the database of all the suspected OGWs of Kashmir and it has been deployed near at least two checkpoints along the road to Pahalgam. A suspected OGW, who spoke with , said that he was recently asked to furnish his Aadhaar details at his concerned police station.
It was not immediately clear whether the system works by recognising a suspect's facial features or their biometrics. A similar system is also being installed on the second and shortest route to the Himalayan cave shrine which commences from Baltal area of central Kashmir's Sonmarg health resort.
The J&K Police have kept a database of hundreds of OGWs who have been named or formally charged in militancy-related First Information Reports (FIR) in Kashmir. These Kashmiri suspects are often summoned to police stations and detained on important national holidays such as Republic Day and Independence Day, or whenever the prime minister or union home minister are visiting the Valley.
Although most of the suspects named in the FIRs have been granted bail by the courts, police has kept them on its watch list amid apprehensions of their continuing involvement in militancy. The controversial system would effectively make them criminals in the eyes of law and liable for detention or arrest without any sound legal backing.
'No one with an FIR or with an adverse police record can walk or travel on Khanabal-Pahalgam road particularly beyond Mattan (in Anantnag district) till the time the is over,' sources said.
A controversial technology
The use of facial recognition surveillance in law enforcement has been a source of raging debate across the world with human rights groups and legal experts seeking a complete ban on its use in public places over the fears of privacy violation and human rights concerns.
According to a Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) analysis, India has about 170 facial recognition systems with a collective expenditure of around Rs 15.13 billion of which Rs 7.7 billion have been spent by the central government and Rs 7.43 billion by the state governments.
However, only 20 of these systems are reportedly operational in Delhi, Maharashtra and Telangana, the IFF analysis states, adding that the police, army and other security agencies made more use of the technology than any other government departments.
In 2018, police told the Delhi high court that the software used by the facial recognition system in the national capital was accurate only 2% of the time and 'not good'.
The National Crime Records Bureau is developing the National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) to use facial recognition technology for assisting law enforcement agencies in crime investigations by identifying criminals from a bank of photographs and videos.
The Supreme Court has ruled that any intrusion by the State into people's right to privacy, which is protected as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, must conform to the thresholds of legality, necessity, proportionality and procedural safeguards.
However, the IFF has said that the AFRS proposal fails to meet any of these thresholds, citing manifest arbitrariness and the absence of legality, accountability and other safeguards. Legal experts have also said that there was no law in place to keep track of how this technology was being used.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International among 180 global defenders of human rights have called on the governments across the world to stop using facial recognition surveillance technology in public spaces, terming it as a tool of 'mass surveillance' as concerns prevail over the use and storage of data gathered by the systems.
'The use of facial recognition by the police and security/intelligence agencies will not only lead to violation of the rights to privacy and freedom of speech and expression but also lead to human rights violations by helping to increase systemic bias against already marginalised communities,' Amnesty has said in a letter to the prime minister Narendra Modi.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Ensure trader can access his shop and conduct business: Gujarat HC
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court directed the state authorities to "redress" the problem faced by a Muslim trader in conducting business from his legally owned shop in a Hindu-majority locality in Vadodara city. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complainant has allegedly faced relentless obstruction from locals, who refuse to let him open the premises. The HC reminded the state govt that maintaining law and order is its duty. Onali Dholkawala had legally purchased the shop from two Hindu brothers near Champaner Darwaza in 2016. However, he could get the sale deed registered only in 2020 after he approached the HC as the area is covered under the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provisions of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991 (Disturbed Areas Act), which restricts property transactions and mandates the district collector's permission for transactions. He continued to face opposition from the neighbourhood, as a couple of the residents challenged the sale to a Muslim and demanded its cancellation, claiming that allowing a Muslim to buy property in the area could lead to polarisation and disturb demographic equilibrium. In Feb 2023, the HC rejected their petition and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each of the two litigants by terming such an objection as a "disturbing factor" because the owner "is being hounded and thwarting his attempt to enjoy the fruits of the property which he successfully purchased". An appeal against this order was dismissed as well. However, the locals still did not allow Dholkawala to use the shop. They allegedly dumped debris at the shop's gate so that it could not be opened. He approached the HC once again seeking police protection so that he could get the shop's building repaired and conduct business from the premises. He complained that he had approached Panigate police multiple times requesting protection but allegedly received no support After hearing his case, Justice H D Suthar stated, "In view of the facts of the case and looking to the grievance of the petitioner at Annexure-A, the respondent authority concerned is hereby directed to redress the grievance of the petitioner in accordance with law as it is the duty of the state to maintain the law and order. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now If any adverse outcome is there, the petitioners are at liberty to file appropriate proceedings before the appropriate forum. " Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court directed the state authorities to "redress" the problem faced by a Muslim trader in conducting business from his legally owned shop in a Hindu-majority locality in Vadodara city. The complainant has allegedly faced relentless obstruction from locals, who refuse to let him open the premises. The HC reminded the state govt that maintaining law and order is its duty. Onali Dholkawala had legally purchased the shop from two Hindu brothers near Champaner Darwaza in 2016. However, he could get the sale deed registered only in 2020 after he approached the HC as the area is covered under the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provisions of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991 (Disturbed Areas Act), which restricts property transactions and mandates the district collector's permission for transactions. He continued to face opposition from the neighbourhood, as a couple of the residents challenged the sale to a Muslim and demanded its cancellation, claiming that allowing a Muslim to buy property in the area could lead to polarisation and disturb demographic equilibrium. In Feb 2023, the HC rejected their petition and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each of the two litigants by terming such an objection as a "disturbing factor" because the owner "is being hounded and thwarting his attempt to enjoy the fruits of the property which he successfully purchased". An appeal against this order was dismissed as well. However, the locals still did not allow Dholkawala to use the shop. They allegedly dumped debris at the shop's gate so that it could not be opened. He approached the HC once again seeking police protection so that he could get the shop's building repaired and conduct business from the premises. He complained that he had approached Panigate police multiple times requesting protection but allegedly received no support After hearing his case, Justice H D Suthar stated, "In view of the facts of the case and looking to the grievance of the petitioner at Annexure-A, the respondent authority concerned is hereby directed to redress the grievance of the petitioner in accordance with law as it is the duty of the state to maintain the law and order. If any adverse outcome is there, the petitioners are at liberty to file appropriate proceedings before the appropriate forum. "
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Sukhu govt's mindset is anti-Sanatan": Jairam Thakur attacks Congress govt
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 21 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh LoP and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu led Congress government, accusing them of fostering an 'anti-Sanatan' mindset and systematically targeting the Hindu population of the state. Thakur was addressing a press conference in Shimla alongside State BJP President Rajiv Bindal. 'Ever since the Congress came to power, incidents against Hindus have been on the rise in Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister himself had publicly spoken of defeating a party that represents the ideology of 97 per cent Hindus of this state. That statement has now become the government's operating mindset,' said Thakur. 'The case of a missing Hindu girl is nothing but love jihad. Shockingly, the police deliberately delayed registering an FIR despite repeated requests from the family. It was only after angry public protests that the girl was traced,' referring to a recent incident in Paonta Sahib, Thakur said. He alleged that the government responded to the public outrage not with justice but political vengeance. 'Cases under BNS Section 109 have now been registered against senior BJP leaders, including Dr Rajiv Bindal and former minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary. This is nothing but a case of political retaliation,' Thakur added. He said during the present Congress regime there were multiple incidents pointing to Anti-Hindu bias. The BJP leader said that this was not the first time the Congress government had displayed open bias against Hindus or attempted to stifle the voice of the opposition. 'In the Manohar murder case in Chamba, the government didn't allow opposition leaders to visit the spot. In Nahan, a Muslim youth from Saharanpur slaughtered a cow and shared the photos on social media yet no legal action was taken,' he said. Thakur also raised the issue of an illegal mosque construction in Sanjauli, a matter that had sparked national outrage. 'Despite the uproar, the Congress government chose to remain silent,' he said. The LoP alleged that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh was turning a blind eye to serious issues like 'love jihad', illegal religious structures, and alleged cow slaughter. 'All of this reveals a deliberate anti-Sanatan intent. If the false cases filed against BJP leaders are not withdrawn immediately, we will launch a massive statewide agitation,' Thakur warned. Rajiv Bindal, who was present at the press conference, echoed these sentiments and said the government was resorting to vendetta politics instead of focusing on law and order. The BJP leadership has demanded immediate withdrawal of what they termed as 'false and fabricated' charges and warned of intensified protests if their demand is not met. (ANI)
India Today
13 hours ago
- India Today
Bangladeshi arrested with dual identity cards, triggers BJP vs Trinamool spat
A Bangladeshi national was arrested at an immigration point in West Bengal while attempting to enter the country using an Indian identity card. The arrested person, Salim Sheikh (31) from Murshidabad, was found to have dual sources said a Bangladeshi identity card was seized from his possession during checks at the Mahdipur Immigration Point in Malda. The card showed his name to be Mohammad Dilwar (30) from investigation revealed that he was using an Indian identity card to pose as a local resident. The police also recovered an Aadhaar card, voter card, passport, visa, and some Indian currency from his possession. The English Bazaar police took Sheikh into custody and produced him before the Malda District Court. The court sent him to six-day police police officer Pradeep Kumar Yadav said an investigation into the incident has been launched. BJP, TRINAMOOL EXCHANGE BARBSThe incident has sparked a political row, with the BJP accusing the ruling Trinamool government of facilitating illegal Ganguly, Dakshin Malda district BJP president, alleged that fake voters were active in border districts and were involved in electoral malpractices."The Bharatiya Janata Party is strongly opposing this. It has been said before that there are a lot of fake voters, and they are involved in all the districts adjacent to the border of West Bengal," he the TMC has denied these allegations, with Subhamoy Basu, TMC Dakshin Malda district vice president, accusing the BJP of trying to create communal tensions for political gain."Most Pakistanis have been caught in Gujarat. The BJP is trying to come to power in West Bengal through Hindu-Muslim politics," he said, adding that the West Bengal government takes appropriate action against infiltration.
