Police, Anti-Terror Agency Raids On Gangsters' Hideouts Across Punjab

The Punjab Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out raids on hideouts of gangsters and anti-social elements across the state, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here.

The cordon-and-search operations were conducted in all 28 police districts of the state, he said, adding the NIA carried out raids at 58 locations and the state police at 143.

At least 125 teams of the Punjab Police having more than 1,200 personnel were involved, Mr Yadav said.

In an official statement, the DGP said commissioners and senior superintendents of police were directed to personally monitor the raids and make teams available so that the operation could be carried out simultaneously.

The raids were planned after questioning recently arrested gangsters and criminals, he added.

Special DGP (Law and order) Arpit Shukla said the police teams conducted in-depth searches and collected data from mobile phones and other electronic devices which will be sent for forensic examination.

He said several people were also detained during the operation.

Mr Shukla added the police teams checked arms licences and questioned people about their sources of ammunition, besides gathering details of their family members based abroad and bank transactions done from foreign countries.

A Punjab Police statement said the operation was aimed at disrupting the nexus of anti-social elements.

The NIA also conducted raids at four locations in Haryana's Gurugram district and one location in Nuh on Wednesday morning, during which it interrogated people and seized documents for further investigation, officials said.

Police teams from the district accompanied the NIA during the raids, they added.

In Gurugram, the agency raided the house of stamp vendor Sudhir alias Khunti at Naharpur Rupa. A senior police officer said Sudhir is acquainted with jailed gangster Kaushal and has also been in constant contact with him.

The NIA also raided a house in Sector 31 in search of a businessman and found that he resides in Canada now, the officer said. The house of jailed gangster Yashpal alias Sarpanch in the Pataudi area was raided, besides that of Sanjay Panchal in the Shivaji Nagar colony.

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