{
  "id": 1647478,
  "title": "NEET-UG protests: Delhi Police tells SC that facial recognition tech was used in ‘legitimate state interest’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/neet-ug-protests-delhi-police-tells-sc-that-facial-recognition-tech",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T06:03:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/neet-ug-protests-delhi-police-tells-sc-that-facial-recognition-tech-was-used-in-legitimate-state-interest/article71359045.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the Delhi Police revealed that it utilized facial recognition technology during the NEET-UG paper leak protests in New Delhi. The police clarified that the deployment of the system was in line with a legitimate state interest and not for indiscriminate surveillance. Among the 2,873 individuals identified by the facial recognition system, 92 were involved in over ten criminal cases, including serious offences like murder, rape, kidnapping, and child sexual abuse. The Delhi Police maintained that the use of tear gas shells and lathi charges were employed only as a last resort, and the lathi charge was limited and controlled. They denied using nail lathis and manhandling women protestors. The police also refuted claims that the protests were a \"Sanskrit Chalo\" march, stating that permission was neither sought nor granted for such a march, as the gathering had turned aggressive and posed a threat to high-security zones surrounding the Parliament.",
  "summary": "The police said it would deal with the allegations against police officers before the committee proposed by the Supreme Court to examine “all issues related to the use of force by the police”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Gujarat Police seize laptops, phones from journalist Ravi Nair’s Delhi home",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/gujarat-police-seize-laptops-phones-from-journalist-ravi-nairs-delhi",
        "published": "2026-08-18T04:55:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Delhi Police arrest eight for planning attacks in Delhi, Mumbai",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/delhi-police-arrest-eight-for-planning-attacks-in-delhi-mumbai",
        "published": "2026-08-18T05:08:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Delhi Police reject claims of 'excessive force' at Jantar Mantar student protest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/delhi-police-reject-claims-of-excessive-force-at-jantar-mantar",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:42:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}