IPL: How Delhi cops are 'tech'ing up security at Arun Jaithley Stadium

As IPL fever grips the capital, Delhi Police have ramped up security at the Arun Jaitley Stadium by deploying face recognition system (FRS) buses at key entry points to detect and intercept troublemakers, Times of India has reported.

This heightened surveillance comes in the wake of a bomb threat email received by the Delhi and District Cricket Association, as well as concerns triggered by ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Two FRS-equipped buses have been stationed strategically—one on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and the other on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg—both being high-traffic access points to the stadium.


“Each bus is fitted with two cameras that are connected to the FRS technology which facilitates the scanning and identification of individuals based on facial recognition,” TOI quoted a police officer as saying.

Inside every FRS bus, four police personnel are on duty. Two monitor the live FRS feed, while the other two interrogate flagged individuals, particularly those with criminal records. The system matches faces against a database sourced from the National Crime Records Bureau and internal police dossiers.

To maintain vigilance, police regularly test the system by sending dummy officers through the checkpoints. “This dual approach enhances the likelihood of identifying and apprehending potential threats before they enter the stadium,” the officer added.

DCP (Central) M. Harsha Vardhan has formed dedicated teams under Rajeev Kumar Vats, the station house officer of Indraprastha police station, to manage stadium security on match days.

Apart from technology, police have deployed plainclothes officers posing as fans to crack down on black-market ticket sales outside the stadium. On April 28, police arrested a 35-year-old man from Jharkhand for scalping; ten tickets were recovered from him. A day earlier, two men were caught selling seven tickets illegally during the Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match.

In a parallel crackdown, police busted two betting rackets linked to IPL games, arresting six individuals and seizing over Rs 20 lakh in cash.

(With inputs from TOI)