From Viral video to arrest: How facial recognition and UPI records led police to men who harassed Portuguese tourist
After a Portuguese tourist’s video went viral, Mumbai Police pieced together digital and surveillance clues to track down two men — one in the city, the other in Bihar.
The Portuguese travel vlogger who has been in India on a visit since January 6 alleged that she was harassed by two men while walking Dhobi Ghat. (Image source: Screengrab)
IT WAS the advanced Facial Recognition System (FRS) and two UPI transactions that helped Mumbai police track two accused persons who were captured in a vlog by a Portuguese tourist in the city whom they were harassing. While one of the accused was arrested from the city, the second was arrested from Bihar, his native place.
An official said that while the incident took place on February 22, they came to know about it through social media on February 27 when an FIR was registered. The official said that while the two accused are seen in the video, no one in the Dhobhi Ghat area recognized them.
“We even checked the CCTV network on the road but they were not to be seen,” the official said. Suspecting that the duo too could have been visiting the city, the police fed their photographs into the Western Railway’s FRS and they got a hit.
“The two accused were spotted at Marine Lines railway station on February 13. From there, we tracked them through our CCTV network on the road. At one shop they were seen purchasing something and making payment via UPI,” the officer said.
A police team then went to the shop and asked the shopkeeper to provide the digital records of payments made. “We tallied the payment made on the time shown in the CCTV and got the mobile number,” the officer said. The police then started tracing the mobile number and found that the person was moving around in south Mumbai.
Based on this data, a police team kept tracking his movement and eventually placed him under arrest on February 28. The accused was identified as Gulshankumar Sharma (20). During his interrogation, he told the police that he along with the other accused seen in the video Mansukhkumar Sharma (22), had come to the city from Bihar to get employment.
“Since they had not secured work, they were roaming around tourist spots. He further told us that Mansukh had gone to Bihar. A police team was sent to Bihar from where he was arrested on Sunday,” the officer said. He was brought to the city and produced before the court and sent to police custody.
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An officer said that since this was a high-profile case and linked to safety of women in the city, the entire staff at Agripada police station was involved in tracking the accused. “Updates on the progress of the case were taken by senior officers every single day,” the officer added.
The Portuguese travel vlogger who has been in India on a visit since January 6 alleged that she was harassed by two men while walking Dhobi Ghat. She had shared a video on social media that showed them following her and repeatedly asking for photographs despite her refusal. The woman said the men trailed her and a female friend for over 15 minutes, at one point returning with another person and moving uncomfortably close. The video went viral, prompting Mumbai Police to reach out to her and initiate inquiries, including reviewing CCTV footage. She did not file a formal complaint but said police contacted her and assured assistance.
Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.
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Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field.
Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus.
Key Beats:
Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force.
Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict.
Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations.
Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed.
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Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order.
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