Kerala police use AI to crack 19-year-old triple murder case

In a remarkable feat, the Kerala Police solved a 2006 murder case after 19 years, utilising Artificial Intelligence to secure the arrest of two individuals alleged to have killed a woman and her twin children.

On February 10, 2006, in Anchal, a town in Kerala’s Kollam district, Santamma was returning home from the Panchayat office. Upon arriving, she was met with a horrific sight. Her daughter, Ranjini, and Ranjini’s 17-day-old twins were lying in a pool of blood, their throats Slit.

Following the incident, police swiftly launched an investigation and sought to apprehend two suspects, Divil Kumar and Rajesh. Both men were army personnel stationed at the Pathankot military base when the incident occurred. However, the suspects evaded capture.

An investigation ensued, but as time elapsed, the case turned cold. In 2023, the Technical Intelligence Wing of the Kerala Police turned to artificial intelligence to re-examine old cases. Using modern technology, they enhanced old photographs of the two accused to generate an estimation of how they might look after 19 years.

Finally, a wedding photo that surfaced on social media, bearing a 90% similarity to the suspect, provided a breakthrough. The photo depicted a man from Puducherry, identified as “Praveen Kumar". This discovery spurred the investigation forward, leading to the arrests of Rajesh and Divil Kumar.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Kerala ADGP (Law and Order) Manoj Abraham stated that his technical intelligence team solved a long-pending case using artificial intelligence (AI). He explained that AI was used to progressively age old pictures of the accused, simulating their potential appearance after 19 years. These images were then compared against photographs on social media.

The AI-generated image of one accused showed a 90% match with a wedding photograph shared on Facebook. This lead led to Rajesh being located in Puducherry, with Divil subsequently traced through his connection.

The CBI arrested both accused in Puducherry on January 4, 2025, almost 20 years after the crime. The two individuals had established new identities and were working as interior designers. Divil had assumed the name Vishnu, while Rajesh was living as Praveen Kumar.

Police investigations into the case revealed that Santamma’s daughter, Ranjini, and the accused, Divil, were residents of the same village and had been in a relationship. However, the relationship deteriorated when Ranjini informed Divil about her pregnancy, and he reportedly distanced himself, relocating to Pathankot. The situation worsened due to Ranjini’s insistence on carrying the pregnancy to term.

Ranjini gave birth to twin daughters in January 2006 at a Thiruvananthapuram hospital. During this period, Rajesh, posing as ‘Anil Kumar’, befriended Ranjini, offering her support. Rajesh and Divil, former army colleagues, conspired to murder her.

Following the birth of their children, Ranjini approached the State Women’s Commission, obtaining an order to compel Divil to undergo a DNA test to prove his parenthood of the children.

Rajesh reportedly persuaded Ranjini’s mother to visit the local panchayat office for some official work. While she was away, Rajesh, acting on Divil’s behest, murdered Ranjini and her children.

The registration number of a two-wheeler discovered at the crime scene led investigators to a military camp in Pathankot, but the accused had already absconded.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Ranjini’s mother, Santhamma, said that Rajesh, tried to get close to her daughter in the hospital and kept hovering around her. He continued to visit her even after they shifted to a rented house. Divil Kumar’s family had raised questions about Ranjini’s character, which is why she wanted him to undergo a paternity test.