How AI Helped Nab Army Deserters Wanted for Brutal Murders of 2006

IT was a random check using an AI tool by the police technical intelligence wing that led to the recent arrest of two Army men, who had been on the run for nearly two decades after murdering a woman and her newborn twins.

- TOBY ANTONY

Here's a quick flashback. The crime occurred in 2006, at Areyam near Anchal in Kollam district. Although the investigation was handed over to the CBI in 2010, the Kerala Police unofficially continued its pursuit of the suspects—Divil Kumar B of Anchal and Rajesh P of Sreekandapuram—who were serving in the 45 Air Defence Regiment of the Army, posted in Pathankot at the time.

On January 24, 2006, Renjini gave birth to twin daughters.

The 24-year-old and her newborns were found murdered on February 10. "It was a brutal murder. Their throats were slit, and there were severe stab injuries on their bodies," recalls an officer, who had worked at the Anchal police station in 2006.

"Renjini's mother, Santhamma, was not at home at the time as she had gone to the panchayat office to obtain birth certificates for her granddaughters. Santhamma mentioned that a man named Anil Kumar had visited the house just before she left. That is when we started tracking Anil."

Investigators soon discovered that Renjini had been in a relationship with Divil, a fellow native of Anchal, who was stationed in Pathankot. Renjini and her mother had approached the Kerala State Women's Commission after Divil refused to acknowledge the children. The commission decided to conduct a DNA test to establish the children's parentage.