Bhopal News: AI Helps Bhopal Cops Identify Murder Victim Within 24 Hours

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a first of its kind investigation in Madhya Pradesh, police successfully used artificial intelligence to identify a murder victim whose face had been deliberately disfigured to conceal his identity.

The use of AI helped police in establishing the identity of the victim within 24 hours after his body was found.

As per reports, the body of an unknown man was found in a deserted area near the BHEL Sports Club under the Govindpura police station limits on Saturday morning, following which the morning walkers alerted the police.

The assailants had severely damaged the victim’s face in an apparent attempt to prevent identification. No mobile phone, identity documents or personal belongings were recovered from the spot, making conventional identification methods difficult.

Facing a dead end, police turned to Artificial Intelligence for assistance. Using AI-based facial reconstruction technology, investigators digitally reshaped and reconstructed the disfigured face to approximate the victim’s original appearance.

In-charge Govindpura police station Awadhesh Singh Tomar said both the original disfigured image and the AI-generated reconstructed face were circulated across police WhatsApp groups and social media networks. The reconstructed image closely resembled the victim’s real appearance, enabling family members to recognise him.

The deceased was subsequently identified as Chandrakant Patel (40), a daily wage labourer from Mandideep in Raisen district. Police said Patel had come to Bhopal a day earlier in search of work.

Awadhesh Singh Tomar said preliminary investigation revealed that the victim’s throat had been slit and he had sustained severe head and facial injuries, confirming that it was a case of murder.

Police are currently questioning relatives, acquaintances and people linked to the victim’s workplace to trace the accused.