During the year, Nagpur emerged as the AI-driven policing hub of Maharashtra, transforming both urban and rural law enforcement through innovative tools such as AI Nirikshak and the Marvel Initiative.In December, the city police piloted AI Nirikshak, India's first AI-based crowd management system, during the winter session of the state assembly. Powered by Microsoft Azure and developed in partnership with Click2Cloud, the platform integrates CCTV, drone feeds, and real-time video analytics. It features heat mapping, facial recognition for suspect detection, overcrowding alerts, and an AI chatbot for instant access to police databases.The technology promises to avoid incidents like Mahal, where hundreds of people tried to take the law into their own hands. Police made numerous arrests in the March incident, but the majority of the accused managed to secure bail despite a lack of concrete evidence. AI-driven systems with facial recognition capabilities can erase this gray area.During the winter session, we flagged 58 suspicious objects, two unauthorized vehicles, and 389 instances of overcrowding, allowing for prompt intervention. CP Ravinder Kumar Singhal hailed this as a step towards making Maharashtra a leader in AI-powered public safety, with plans to expand across the state.In rural Nagpur, the Marvel (Maharashtra Reforms Law Enforcement Advanced Research and Surveillance) platform is pioneering AI in investigations. Its flagship tool, MahaCrimeOS AI, will be deployed at 23 local stations from April 2025 and will act as an AI co-pilot for cybercrime investigations. Handle complaints in any format or language, automate workflows, and create customized investigation plans.In December, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Microsoft announced the implementation of the Marvel system in all 1,100 police stations in Maharashtra. “The future will be technology-driven policing, both for prevention and detection,” officials said, emphasizing the ethical use of AI to augment human efforts.These initiatives will strengthen proactive crime prevention, rapid detection, and efficient deployment of resources in urban and rural Nagpur and set national standards for smart, citizen-centric law enforcement.
