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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Lawrence Bishnoi gang member arrested in Udaipur: Gujarat Police
The arrest of a man for illegal possession of a country made pistol led the Gujarat Police to an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who was apprehended from Udaipur in Rajasthan on Wednesday, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) said. The accused has been identified as Manoj alias Chakki Shankarlal Salvi (21). According to the Crime Branch, on June 14, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had arrested Rupalal Bhanwarlaal Salvi from the road outside Shivalik Complex in Panchvati area of Ahmedabad. He was found in possession of an illegal country made pistol and a cartridge, police said. An FIR under the Arms Act was filed against him at Ellisbridge police station. During interrogation, Rupalal allegedly told the police that the weapon had been given to him by Manoj, leading to a manhunt and subsequent arrest from the neighbouring state. He was handed over to Ellisbridge police for further action. Police said that in the past, 11 cases were lodged against Manoj – nine in Rajasthan and two in Delhi. Previously, he was also arrested in the conspiracy and murder of Sukhdev Gogamedi, the then head of the Karni Rajput Sena, said a senior police officer. Notably, Bishnoi is currently in judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Prison in Ahmedabad.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Cyber scam busted in Surat; 2 held in hotel raid, crores routed via crypto and Telegram banking bots
The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Surat has busted an international cybercrime racket suspected to have links with China, Pakistan, and Myanmar, following a raid at a hotel near Surat railway station. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Two youths from Jodhpur were arrested and digital evidence recovered points to a multi-crore scam involving cryptocurrency and mule accounts. The accused — Ramswarup Bishnoi and Sagar Bishnoi, both aged 20 — were staying at Janta Inn Hotel in Mahidharpura. Acting on a tip-off, the DCB team detained them from Room 409 and seized eight mobile phones, SIM cards, Aadhaar documents, diaries, and multiple bank account kits, according to TOI report. A preliminary probe found several crores worth of transactions, including large USDT (Tether cryptocurrency) transfers. The duo had reportedly travelled to Surat to purchase bank accounts for fraudulent use in online financial schemes. Police said the devices contained up to 19 email IDs per phone, linked to various banking apps and suspicious transaction histories. Accounts across multiple banks — including SBI, Bank of Maharashtra, City Union Bank, Northeast Small Finance Bank, Federal Bank, and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank — were flagged. Digital forensics also uncovered involvement with Telegram-based cyber networks, notably a bot group named 'Bookkeeping Robot Ram', allegedly used to transmit account credentials to foreign handlers. An FIR has been registered against six accused — five from Jodhpur and one from Surat. The arrested men reportedly came into contact with the main accused, Pramod Bishnoi, in February 2025, who introduced them to crypto trading fraud. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police said Pramod facilitated their link with Sanjay Gabu, a Surat-based operative who allegedly sold them 193 bank accounts. The data — including account kits and MPINs — was then forwarded to Gnan Bishnoi and Shyam Bishnoi in Jodhpur, who uploaded it to the Telegram group run by Chinese handlers. Once funds were deposited into these accounts, cash withdrawals were executed and routed via courier Vishnu Angadiya to Jodhpur. There, it was converted into cryptocurrency via the Binance app and moved offshore. The DCB has also conducted follow-up raids at multiple Surat locations and detained other suspects as the investigation continues into the foreign-controlled cyber laundering network.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Time of India
Crime branch nabs mobile snatching gang, recovers 8 stolen phones
Vadodara: The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) has arrested three men allegedly involved in a spate of mobile snatching incidents across the city. Acting on a tip-off about the gang attempting to sell stolen phones near APMC Road, police kept a close watch on the area. The suspects — Naresh Vadi, Arjun Marwadi, and Sanjay Vadi — were spotted riding a motorcycle. When the police attempted to intercept them, the trio tried to flee but were chased down and apprehended. During interrogation, the accused confessed to snatching mobile phones worth over Rs 1 lakh from areas including Makarpura, Panigate, Sayajigunj and Kapurai in recent weeks. Police recovered eight stolen mobile phones from their possession. Authorities said the trio have multiple theft cases registered against them at different police stations across the city. Further investigation is underway. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Indian Express
Ahmedabad police to use AI-based system during Rath Yatra to avoid stampede. How does it work?
Ahead of the 148th Jagannath Rath Yatra on June 27, the Ahmedabad city police are setting up advanced surveillance systems to ensure the safety of around 15 lakh devotees who are expected to gather to watch the holy procession go through some of the most congested areas of the Old City area. This becomes significant in light of the recent stampede in Karnataka's Bengaluru during the celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory that led to the death of 11 people and injured dozens of others. Notably, a stampede also took place at the Mahakumbh held in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj earlier this year. While The Indian Express had earlier reported on newly launched GP-DRASTI drone programme that will, also for the first time, be deployed in a major 'moving' crowd event during the Rath Yatra later in June, now, another software, to be integrated into the CCTV cameras along the route as well as the drone programme, enabled with Artificial Intelligence (AI), will be used for 'stampede avoidance'. This system, still in the development stage, and yet to be named, will calculate the density of people in a particular area of spanning certain square metres and determine, based on yet-to-be-decided parameters, if a stampede is imminent or not. Based on the results of this system, alerts will be sent out to officers to disperse crowds to avoid a stampede. According to information shared by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), 'Anti-stampede algorithms on CCTV cameras are a crucial advancement in crowd management, leveraging AI and image processing to prevent dangerous situations in densely populated areas.' ACP Bharat Patel from the Crime Branch said, 'Last year, we had used a lot of technology to monitor and handle the Rath Yatra, which starts from Jagannath Temple, held till Saraspur and ends at the same temple. This time, we are planning to use an AI-based stampede avoidance system especially at the most congested spots along the route of the yatra.' The most congested spots along the Rath Yatra route are the Jagannath Temple, the narrow route near Dhal Ni Pol, the area near Chakleshwar Mahadev temple, the Saraspur stop where the participants stop for lunch, and then a narrow route in Shahpur area on the way back to the Jagannath Temple. Speaking on the technology, ACP Patel said that the system will use thermal imaging and pixel-counting to count the occupied and unoccupied areas of a particular space and constantly update this information on the screens that will be placed in the police control room as well as field units so that ground forces can be immediately advised to take action if the number of people in a particular space exceed the threshold limit. However, when asked about the threshold limit or density of people per square metre, the officer said that was yet to be decided, adding that it will vary based on areas and the varying egress points available. Further, since the Rath Yatra is a procession or a moving event, the system will be able to calculate, based on crowd movement, if a large group of people is moving to an area, which may not be able to accommodate them. In such cases, police personnel will be asked to move along with the people already in that particular area, to make room for the incoming crowd. While the officer stressed that there had not been any stampede at the yatra held in Ahmedabad in the recent years, the advanced technology was being used as a precautionary measure, taking lessons from incidents elsewhere. 1. Real-time monitoring: AI-powered CCTV cameras will continuously analyse video streams in real time. 2. Crowd density estimation: Algorithms will calculate the number of people in a given area. This can involve pixel-based analysis (converting images to black and white and counting 'black pixels' representing people), and object detection, using machine learning models to identify and count individuals by detecting heads or torsos. 3. Thresholding: Pre-defined 'threshold values' for crowd density will be established. When the detected density crosses these thresholds, it will trigger an alert. 4. Anomaly detection: Beyond just density, these algorithms can identify unusual crowd behaviour, such as sudden surges in movement, unusual clustering patterns, fallen individuals, and aggressive movement. 5. Alerting authorities: Upon detecting a potential stampede risk, the system sends immediate alerts to security personnel or control rooms via LCD displays, GSM messages or other communication channels. 6. Predictive analytics: Advanced systems will use time-series prediction models to forecast crowd behavior and dynamics based on historical and real-time data, helping anticipate potential bottlenecks or overcrowding. 7. Reinforcement learning: Algorithms can learn from past incidents to suggest optimal crowd flow routes and alternative evacuation paths during emergencies. —– 1. Proactive prevention: The primary benefit is the ability to detect and warn of potential stampedes before they occur, allowing authorities to take preventative measures. 2. Real-time insights: Provides immediate and accurate data on crowd density and movement, far surpassing manual observation. 3. Enhanced safety: Significantly improves safety in public spaces by reducing human error and enabling swift responses to risks. 4. Optimised resource allocation: Helps in better deployment of security personnel and resources to areas with high crowd density. 5. Improved efficiency: Automates a labor-intensive task, freeing up human operators for more complex decision-making. 6. Data for future planning: The collected data can be analyzed to improve crowd management strategies for future events. —– 1. Limited accuracy: AI algorithms can face challenges with occlusion (people blocking each other), varying conditions (changes in lighting, weather, and camera angles), and bias in training data (leading to false positives). 2. Computational complexity and cost: Developing and deploying such systems can be expensive due to the need for high-resolution cameras, powerful processing units, and sophisticated algorithms. 3. Data privacy and ethical concerns: The extensive use of CCTV and AI raises concerns about individual privacy and potential misuse of data. 4. Integration with existing infrastructure: Integrating new AI-powered systems with older CCTV networks can be complex. 5. Human intervention remains crucial: While AI can alert, human responders are still essential for effective intervention and crowd dispersal. As seen during Maha Kumbh, even with AI alerts, a lack of ground personnel can limit effectiveness. 6. Defining thresholds: Determining appropriate crowd density thresholds for different environments and cultural contexts can be challenging.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Time of India
Trader alleges Rs 14L immigration fraud by Prahladnagar firm
Ahmedabad: A 42-year-old grocery trader from Vadgam in Banaskantha district filed a complaint on Sunday, alleging he was cheated of Rs 14.5 lakh by a Prahladnagar-based immigration consultancy that promised to send him to New Zealand on a work permit. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complainant stated in his complaint with the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) police that he came across an advertisement on Facebook in Feb 2024 by a consultancy claiming to facilitate overseas migration. He contacted the firm through the phone number listed in the ad and later visited its office on the eighth floor of a commercial complex in Prahladnagar. There, he was told that the total cost for the New Zealand work permit would be Rs 18.5 lakh. Of this, he was informed that only Rs 2.5 lakh would be accepted through official channels, while the rest would need to be paid in cash. In March 2024, he was sent a list of required documents via WhatsApp, which he submitted. Following that, he paid Rs 5 lakh through an angadia service. He received a work permit letter through WhatsApp and subsequently transferred Rs 3 lakh more through the same channel. Later, upon receiving a tax invoice for 700 New Zealand dollars related to immigration processing, he paid Rs 2 lakh on March 18, Rs 50,000 on March 23, Rs 1 lakh on April 8, and Rs 50,000 on April 27 — all through angadia. He also transferred Rs 1.5 lakh through Google Pay after being sent a visa approval letter on WhatsApp. On May 10, 2024, he was instructed to travel to Dubai, where he waited for a week. During this time, he was told over phone calls that his New Zealand ticket could not be confirmed and he was advised to return to India. Later, he was sent fake air tickets from Mumbai to Auckland and Ahmedabad to Wellington. On verifying, all tickets were found to be fake. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complainant alleged that despite repeated assurances, he was neither sent abroad nor refunded, and has sought legal action for breach of trust and cheating. DCB police registered a case of breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and abetment against the accused persons.
