BJYM functionary murder: Main accused held in Chandauli with help of AI-powered Yaksh app

Lucknow: The main accused in the murder of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) functionary Shivam Singh, who was beaten to death in Lucknow last week following a dispute allegedly over cigarettes, was arrested in Chandauli Sunday night with the help of the Uttar Pradesh Police’s AI-powered Yaksh app.

The accused, Anuj Singh (24), a resident of Surhan village in Azamgarh’s Didarganj area, was arrested by Mughalsarai police during a routine verification drive at Padav Chauraha. Police also recovered an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol and two live cartridges from his possession.

According to police, on Sunday night Mughalsarai officers were checking suspicious persons using the Yaksh app, an artificial intelligence-based facial recognition and criminal identification platform developed by UP Police to assist in criminal identification, facial recognition and field-level policing.

The Yaksh App, launched in 2025, integrates facial recognition, AI-assisted search capabilities, criminal databases and beat-level monitoring tools to help field officers quickly verify identities and track suspects.

According to police, officers noticed a man behaving suspiciously while checks were underway. As police personnel were using the application to photograph and verify individuals in the area, the suspect allegedly became nervous. Police intercepted and questioned him.

His photograph was then verified through the Yaksh App, which helped police establish his identity as Anuj Singh, a resident of Surhan village in Azamgarh’s Didarganj area. The App showed six cases in his name, including the murder of BJYM functionary Shivam Singh in Lucknow.

A search of his belongings led to the recovery of the illegal firearm and ammunition, following which a fresh case under the Arms Act was registered against him at Mughalsarai police station.

Anuj’s arrest comes days after the death of Shivam Singh, a district committee member of BJYM from Ayodhya’s Dhaurahra area. Shivam was allegedly attacked with bricks and stones by a group of youths in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar on the night of May 26.

The incident occurred in the Vibhuti Khand area when Shivam and his friends had stopped at a roadside kiosk to buy cigarettes. Police said three youths arrived on a motorcycle and asked Shivam for cigarettes. Although he initially handed over one, an argument broke out when they allegedly demanded more.

The confrontation appeared to end at the spot, but police said the accused later intercepted Shivam near Kathauta Lake and assaulted him with bricks and stones. He suffered severe head injuries and was found unconscious by passersby, who alerted police. Shivam later succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a Lucknow hospital on May 30.

Police had earlier arrested three accused — Shantanu Rawat, Honey Tiwari and Vivek Singh — in connection with the case. Anuj Singh, however, had remained absconding and was considered one of the principal accused in the investigation.