Chandigarh, Jan 20 (PTI) The Punjab government on Tuesday launched ‘Operation Prahar’, a statewide drive to dismantle the entire ecosystem of organised crime, with over 2,000 police teams conducting raids across the state at locations linked to associates of 60 foreign-based gangsters.
Addressing a press conference here, Director General of Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav said raids were being conducted across the state and 12,000 police personnel were participating in the the 72-hour-long operation.
“Financing, logistics, safe houses, weapon supply chains, communication networks… We are committed to bust the entire ecosystem of gangsters. There will be zero tolerance for their aiders and abetters,” Yadav told reporters here.
“A massive statewide crackdown against gangsters has already begun. As many as 2,000 police teams are conducting raids at identified and mapped locations linked to associates of 60 foreign-based gangsters across Punjab. These raids are part of the 72-hour-long Operation Prahar,” he said.
He said police have mapped 1,200 associates of 60 gangsters and their 600 family members involved in criminal activities under this crackdown.
Prominent among those foreign gangsters were Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara (Brar-Rohit Godara-Kala Jatheri gang), Arsh Dalla (Jaipal gang), Harry Chattha (Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang) and Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda (Rinda-Landa gang).
Warning foreign-based gangsters, the DGP added, “They should not feel safe abroad. Soon, they will be brought back to Punjab to face the law.” The DGP said police identified 60 foreign-based gangsters who are operating from abroad while executing criminal activities in Punjab through their local associates.
To expedite their extradition, the Punjab Police has established an Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC), headed by DIG Counter Intelligence Ashish Choudhary.
These gangsters will be brought to Punjab to face legal action, he said.
Yadav was accompanied by Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, Additional DGP (Anti-Gangster Task Force) Promod Ban and Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, and reiterated the Punjab government’s zero-tolerance policy against gangsterism and those supporting it.
Yadav said, “The Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has declared a well-strategised war against gangsters with the clear intent of eliminating the entire ecosystem of gangsterism, including their financing, logistics, safe houses, weapon supply chains and communication networks.” Providing further details, Yadav said that Red Corner Notices (RCN) have already been issued or are in the process of being issued against 23 of the identified gangsters.
“The process to issue Red Corner Notices against the remaining 37 foreign-based gangsters will be completed in a time-bound manner within the next three months,” he said.
Appealing directly to the youth, the DGP urged those, who have been misled, to abandon the path of crime and return to the mainstream.
“I urge misguided youth not to fall into the trap of foreign-based gangsters, who themselves are sitting safely abroad and luring you with small sums of money to commit heinous crimes. Crime does not pay,” he said, while cautioning that those who refuse to reform should be ready to face strict action.
During the press conference, DGP Gaurav Yadav also launched an Anti-Gangster Helpline number, 93946-93946, enabling citizens to anonymously share information about wanted criminals and gangsters, and to provide tips related to crime and criminal activity.
A cash reward of up to Rs 10 lakh will be given for information leading to the arrest of gangsters, he said.
The DGP further informed that the state government has approved a reward policy with a total sanctioned amount of Rs 10 crore.
“Under this policy, Senior Superintendents of Police will be authorised to grant rewards of up to Rs 1 lakh, Commissioners of Police and Deputy Inspector Generals ranges up to Rs 1.5 lakh, Wing Heads up to Rs 2 lakh, while the DGP Punjab can sanction rewards above Rs 2 lakh,” he said.
He added that these rewards will be given to members of the public whose information leads to arrests, as well as to police officers and officials who carry out exceptional operations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act or against gangsters Yadav said under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (war against drugs) campaign, 31,527 FIRs had been registered so far and 45,251 accused arrested.
“Along with tackling the drug problem, tackling gangsters has been a top priority of the state government,” he said.
Yadav said concerted action in recent years has led to the arrest of 925 gangsters in 2025 alone.
“Punjab Police will nab the miscreants from any nook, in or outside the country, and make them face the law,” he said, adding that a clear strategy has been put in place and a war on gangsters formally declared.
“We will not leave any space for gangsters. Their entire network will be eliminated. Just as the drug-free Punjab campaign, which has seen substantive progress, we will make the state gangster-free,” he said. PTI CHS SUN NB
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