New Delhi, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Delhi Police has claimed that 2,873 people with criminal antecedents were present at the students’ protest site at Jantar Mantar between July 20 and July 25, with many identified through the Facial Recognition System (FRS) and other technical surveillance methods.
According to senior police officials, the individuals were flagged after their images were matched with records maintained in the Delhi Police database. The authorities said many of those identified had previously been detected by FRS cameras in areas of North-East Delhi, including Seelampur, Chand Bagh and Jafrabad, as well as localities such as Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh and Okhla in South-East Delhi.
Police said investigations are underway to determine whether any of the identified individuals were involved in the violence reported at Jantar Mantar and other parts of New Delhi on July 20.
According to the police, those identified have criminal records involving offences such as murder, sexual assault, offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, kidnapping and robbery. Officials further claimed that several of these individuals made repeated visits to the protest venue during the six-day period.
The police also alleged that at least 989 of the identified persons are suspected to have been involved in serious criminal offences.
In its statement, Delhi Police said high-resolution FRS cameras had been installed at entry and exit points of the Jantar Mantar protest site, as well as at various locations across the national capital, including border entry points, to monitor and prevent anti-social elements from exploiting public protests to create law and order issues.
Officials said the FRS is linked to the Delhi Police database containing records of criminals, absconders, history-sheeters and Bad Characters (BCs), enabling real-time identification of individuals with criminal backgrounds.
Police further claimed that the presence of a large number of people with criminal antecedents at the protest site had raised suspicions that they may have been mobilised to disrupt public order. They also alleged that investigators were examining possible links to Pakistan-based social media handles accused of spreading misinformation about security forces in the national capital.
The claims made by Delhi Police are part of an ongoing investigation, and no official findings regarding the alleged involvement of the identified individuals have been announced so far.
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