How Kerala Police Used AI To Solve 19-Year-Old Triple Murder Case

In February 2006, two then-armymen allegedly killed a woman identified as Ranjini and her twin 17-day-old girls in Anchal, Kollam, in Kerala. The suspects, Divil Kumar and Rajesh had a simple alibi-- They were at the Pathankot military station on duty. At a time when surveillance cameras or call records gave limited leads to the police, the case led nowhere and turned cold.

That was till 2025 -- nearly two decades later -- when the Central Bureau of Investigation tracked them in Pondicherry. The two accused murderers, now with assumed identities and completely new lives as business owners, were nabbed by the CBI Chennai unit. The court remanded them until January 18.

How They Were Caught

Divil and Rajesh, both from Puthussery in Kannur, were on the run for at least 19 years after they allegedly murdered Ranjini and her 17-day-old twin children. The police conducted extensive searches in India and abroad and even announced a ₹50,000 reward for information leading to their whereabouts.

The case was handed over to the CBI in 2010 on the orders of the Kerala High Court. Following intelligence reports, the CBI intensified their search and years later, discovered that the two men had been living in Pondicherry. They both took on an alias and were married to school teachers in the region.

Kerala ADGP (Law and Order) Manoj Abraham told The Indian Express, “Our technical intelligence team used artificial intelligence to revisit this long-pending case. Old photographs of the suspects were digitally aged to predict their current appearance, factoring in changes such as hairstyles and facial features."

The AI-generated images were then cross-referenced with photos on social media platforms. One image had a 90% match with a wedding photograph found on Facebook. This match led the CBI to Rajesh in Puducherry, who eventually guided them Divil, ADGP Manoj Abraham said.

After their arrest on January 4, 2025, the CBI transported them to Kochi, where they were produced before the CJM court. The CBI plans to file a request for their custody on Monday and conduct a search for evidence at the crime scene in Anjal, local English news outlet Matrubhumi reported.

What Happened?

On February 10, 2006, Ranjini and her infant twins were found dead with their throats slit at their home in Anchal. Their bodies were found by Ranjini's mother, Santhamma, who had just returned from the Panchayat office where she went to get documents for the babies. She immediately suspected Divil of the murder.

Santhamma told the police that Divil, an armyman, was the father of Ranjini's children who were born out of wedlock. While reports claim that the two were in a relationship, the elderly grieving mother alleges that it was a case of sexual assault. Ranjini was already six months along when she found out about the pregnancy.

When the babies were born, Ranjini allegedly urged Divil to claim responsibility, according to media reports. However, he refused. Tensions escalated, and Ranjini took legal steps. This took a bitter turn and Divil, along with his friend and colleague Rajesh from Kannur, premeditated the murder, reports said.