Mohali: The Bhagwant Mann government has taken a significant step to sharpen its crackdown on organised crime by partnering with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar to deploy Artificial Intelligence-driven systems for policing. The initiative aims to build a structured database of criminals and strengthen ongoing campaigns such as ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ and ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’, enabling Punjab Police to dismantle gangster networks operating within and outside Punjab.
What is the collaboration?
Under this collaboration, the Bhagwant Mann Government will leverage AI tools to create a structured data system that allows Punjab Police to effectively map and target criminal networks. The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between IIT Ropar and Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, with the Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit stationed at AIMS Mohali coordinating among stakeholders to drive the project forward.
What will IIT Ropar?
As part of this partnership, IIT Ropar will develop advanced software equipped with data analytics, voice recognition, and dashboard-based monitoring, enabling real-time tracking and intelligence-led policing to dismantle gangster networks operating from abroad.
The initiative will allow Punjab Police to build a comprehensive and unified database of criminals by integrating both structured and unstructured data. This includes digitising scanned PDFs and handwritten crime records, ensuring that fragmented information is consolidated into a single system accessible instantly.
The Bhagwant Mann government, in collaboration with IIT Ropar, will provide specialised technical support for tracking and analysis, converting scattered data into actionable intelligence through AI tools, predictive models, and analytical dashboards for faster and more effective decision-making.
What did Punjab government say?
Highlighting the importance of data in modern policing, the Punjab Government noted that while structured data is easier to analyse, a large portion of police records exists in unstructured formats such as handwritten reports and scanned documents. The lack of integration often slows investigations. This project addresses that challenge by converting unstructured records and merging them with existing datasets into a unified system, significantly enhancing investigative efficiency.
What did police say?
A senior Punjab Police official stated, “The collaboration with IIT Ropar will strengthen AI and Machine Learning capabilities within the police force. Personnel will be better equipped for crime pattern recognition, marking a significant step in ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ and deterring misuse of technology by criminal networks.”
The official further added, “Our target is to remain a step ahead of the criminals and target their network. These gangsters operate from abroad and lure the youth here to do their dirty crimes. This collaboration will help us enhance ‘spotting and stopping’ of criminals using AI. This will help the Punjab Police to possess a structured database to ensure information regarding criminals and gangsters and assess, queried and analysed using AI-driven tools. This project also aims to bridge the gap between structured and unstructured data sources by creating a system that ingests unstructured documents and combines them with existing structured datasets into a unified structured database.”
The initiative is expected to significantly improve crime detection, strengthen monitoring of criminal networks, and enable faster, data-driven action, thereby enhancing public safety across Punjab.
