'Under AI Lens': How Security Agencies Tracked CJP Protesters At Jantar Mantar Use of facial recognition cameras, AI-powered analytics, database integration and smart surveillance vehicles reignited debate over privacy and civil liberties, reports ETV Bharat’s Gautam Debroy. Published : July 25, 2026 at 7:48 PM IST New Delhi: The agitation against NEET paper leak led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar may have ended on Saturday after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, but the massive security operation mounted around the protest site has left behind another significant perspective-the emergence of technology-driven policing as a central feature of law enforcement in India. For several days, Jantar Mantar was transformed into one of the country’s most closely monitored public protest venues, with security agencies deploying an extensive network of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance systems designed to detect security threats while keeping a close watch on the movement of thousands of demonstrators. The operation, according to officials, relied on a combination of Facial Recognition System (FRS) cameras, AI-enabled video analytics, integrated criminal databases and specialised surveillance vehicles capable of monitoring crowds in real time. The objective, they insist, was not to track peaceful protesters but to identify wanted criminals and prevent anti-social elements from exploiting the agitation. “Whenever large crowds gather, there is always the possibility that criminal or anti-social elements may attempt to merge with genuine protesters. The surveillance system was activated primarily to detect such individuals without disrupting the democratic right to protest,” a senior security official told ETV Bharat here. Multi-layered surveillance network Officials said high-resolution facial recognition cameras were installed at strategic entry and exit points surrounding Jantar Mantar. Unlike conventional CCTV cameras that merely record footage, these systems continuously capture facial images and compare them against police databases containing records of