Mumbai: Malad police use AI to crack Rs 36-lakh jewel theft in 12 hours

The Malad police have used artificial intelligence (AI) to crack a case involving a thief who stole gold, silver and diamond jewellery worth R36 lakh from a high-rise tower in Malad West.

Using AI tools, the police enhanced blurred CCTV footage and identified the accused, Santosh Chaudhary (23). He was arrested within 12 hours of the incident, and 100 per cent of the stolen valuables were recovered.

According to police, the burglary occurred on the night of April 10 at a residential tower in the Chincholi Bandar area of Malad West. The tower has a three-floor parking area, and Chaudhary allegedly entered the premises by jumping the compound wall and scaling a gas pipeline to reach one of the flats. He took advantage of an open sliding window in the bedroom to gain entry. Once inside, he broke open a cupboard and stole ornaments worth approximately R36 lakh before escaping the same way he had entered. At the time of the incident, the flat owner and his elderly parents were asleep. Upon discovering the theft, the owner immediately rushed to the Malad police station and registered a complaint.

“We began scanning CCTV footage from the area, but the image captured was blurred. We then used AI technology to enhance the image, which led to the quick identification of the accused,” said an officer from the Malad police station. The suspect is stated to be a habitual offender with more than 30 burglary cases registered against him. Police said he had also been arrested last year in a similar case. Under the guidance of DCP Anand Bhoite (Zone 11), Senior Inspector Vijay Panhale, API Deepak Raiwade and PSI Tushar Sukhdev, the detection team traced Chaudhary near the railway tracks in Jogeshwari East and arrested him within 12 hours of the crime. The stolen property was recovered in full, the officer added.