On June 28, authorities discovered the decomposed remains of an elderly woman on a farm in the Nagpur district, with very few leads available. The victim was unidentified, there were no witnesses, and the only potential suspect was captured in a grainy image from a remote CCTV camera. However, within days, law enforcement successfully identified both the victim and the alleged perpetrator, thanks to advancements in technology. Investigators employed artificial intelligence-driven facial reconstruction, enhanced CCTV footage, and analyses of telecom data and digital forensics. Using the MARVEL platform—Maharashtra Research and Vigilance for Enhanced Law Enforcement—they managed to recreate the victim’s facial features from her remains and clarify the suspect’s image from the blurred CCTV footage, which ultimately led them to the accused.
The body was found in the Patansawangi village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Saoner police station. Initially, authorities categorized the case as an accidental death. However, a subsequent autopsy revealed that the woman had been sexually assaulted and murdered, prompting the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against an unnamed individual under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Identifying the victim was a significant initial challenge for the police. The investigation was conducted under the leadership of Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police Harsh A. Poddar and Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske, with Assistant Superintendent of Police and Savner Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sagar Kharde at the helm of the inquiry.
During a press briefing, police officials noted the complexities of the case, citing the lack of the victim’s identity, eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, or immediate leads on the suspect. To tackle the situation, specialized teams were formed, comprising officers from various units including the local crime branch, Saoner Police Station, Kelwad Police Station, and the Cyber Police Station.
A critical development in the investigation stemmed from the implementation of MARVEL’s AI-enhanced photo technology. Given the advanced state of decomposition of the victim’s body, detectives utilized AI-assisted facial reconstruction to generate an image of what she might have looked like. This reconstructed photo was then shared with social workers and local networks to aid in identifying her.
During the inquiry, platforms like ICJS and NATGRID were utilized to check if any reports of missing persons matched the victim’s profile. Investigators also sifted through missing persons data from Nagpur city, Amravati, and nearby districts in Madhya Pradesh.
A significant lead was provided by a social worker who presented a photograph of the woman taken shortly before the crime along the Khaparkheda-Dehegaon road. Additionally, a wrapper from a chip packet found at the crime scene led investigators to trace the shops selling that brand of snack and examine their online transactions.
Alongside traditional investigative methods, authorities analyzed nearly 5,000 telecom data records and mapping records from the vicinity, questioning approximately 80 to 90 laborers related to the case. They also acquired and scrutinized registration records for about 15,000 vehicles from the Regional Transport Office in an effort to pinpoint potential suspects.
Footage from 182 CCTV cameras in the vicinity was reviewed, and a technical examination of the footage between Pipla and Dehegaon assisted investigators in identifying the suspect, although the footage was largely blurred.
Utilizing MARVEL’s AI Photo Enhancement technology, police were able to recreate the suspect’s facial features and body profile. The suspect was later apprehended in Nagpur city. A comparison of his actual facial characteristics with the AI-generated reconstruction revealed an 85 percent similarity, according to police reports.
Sudhakar Dadarav Mandpe, aged 48, from Bansali Takli village in Saoner taluka, was arrested on July 6. He has a previous criminal record involving offenses against women, and a court subsequently ordered him to be held in police custody for five days, until July 11.
