Sumesh Rajan
January
9, 2025
The
chilling crime took place on February 10, 2006, in Anchal, a town in Kerala’s
Kollam district. Santhamma returned from the Panchayat office to a horrific
sight—her daughter Ranjini and her 17-day-old twin daughters had been murdered,
their throats slit.
Initially,
the police identified two suspects: Divil Kumar and Rajesh, both army personnel
then stationed at the Pathankot military base. Despite intense efforts, the
suspects eluded capture, and the case gradually went cold over time.
The Breakthrough
In 2023, Kerala Police’s Technical Intelligence Wing revisited the case with a
fresh perspective, turning to AI to unlock new leads. AI technology was
employed to enhance old photographs of the accused, generating digital age-progressed
images to predict what the suspects might look like after almost two decades.
This
innovative approach led to a crucial breakthrough: a wedding photograph shared
on social media displayed a man who bore a striking 90% resemblance to one of
the suspects. The individual in the photo was identified as "Praveen
Kumar" from Puducherry, and upon further investigation, it was confirmed
that he was indeed Rajesh. This discovery set the wheels in motion, ultimately
leading to the identification of Divil Kumar, now living under the alias
“Vishnu.”
On
January 4, 2025, after nearly two decades, both suspects were arrested in
Puducherry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It was revealed that
the two had assumed new identities and were working as interior designers.
The
Crime and Motive
The investigation revealed that Ranjini and Divil were once in a relationship
but had grown apart after she informed him about her pregnancy. Divil distanced
himself and moved to Pathankot, but Ranjini decided to carry the pregnancy to
term.
In
January 2006, Ranjini gave birth to twin daughters in Thiruvananthapuram.
Around the same time, Rajesh, posing as “Anil Kumar,” befriended Ranjini and
offered emotional support. Rajesh and Divil, who had served together in the army,
conspired to murder her.
Ranjini,
determined to resolve the paternity dispute, approached the State Women’s
Commission, which issued an order for Divil to undergo a DNA test. On the day
of the crime, Rajesh convinced Ranjini’s mother, Santhamma, to go to the local
Panchayat office for official work. While she was away, Rajesh, acting on
Divil’s orders, brutally murdered Ranjini and her children.
Despite
the discovery of a two-wheeler registered to the military base at the crime
scene, the suspects managed to escape and remained free for nearly 20 years.
AI:
Revolutionizing Crime Solving
Kerala’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Manoj Abraham,
commended the police technical intelligence team for their innovative use of AI
in solving this long-unsolved case. AI played a crucial role in generating
age-progressed images of the suspects, which were then cross-checked with
social media profiles, leading to their identification.
This
success story demonstrates the immense potential of AI in modern law
enforcement, helping solve cold cases and deliver justice, even after decades.
It highlights the Kerala Police’s commitment to embracing technology to fight
crime and bring perpetrators to justice, showcasing the power of innovation in
the state of Kerala, India.
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