YEARENDER: Murders, cyber frauds kept Chandigarh Police on toes

The year 2025 was challenging for the law and order environment in Chandigarh, marked by high-profile suicide, shoot-out, digital crime arrests, gang rivalries and significant police action. The city's crime landscape reflected evolving patterns, from violent street crime and campus violence to road fatalities and cyber law enforcement.

One of the most distressing violent incidents was the fatal stabbing of Panjab University (PU) student Aditya Thakur on March 28 at a concert on the UIET campus in Sector 25. Aditya, a 21-year-old computer science student, was stabbed amid an altercation after a music show. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries at the PGIMER. The Chandigarh Police arrested four suspects within two days and later apprehended a 17-year-old co-accused. The case highlighted tensions among youth groups and raised questions about event security and campus policing.

Another high-profile case that dominated headlines was the shooting of Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry, in early December near the Timber Market, Sector 26. The killing, allegedly linked to gang rivalries, triggered an intense manhunt. Within days, the police arrested a man accused of supplying the stolen Hyundai Creta used in the crime. Further detentions followed, whereas the Delhi Operation Cell managed to pin down the shooters.

The city also mourned the suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar in October. The 2001-batch officer reportedly left a detailed note, alleging caste-based discrimination and harassment within the force. His death prompted the UT police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), register an FIR with abetment and SC/ST Act sections and sparked political and administrative debates on systemic issues within policing. The Chandigarh Police recently finished questioning all IPS and IAS officers from the Haryana Government mentioned in the late ADGP's final note.

A PU murder case involving Prof BB Goyal also drew widespread attention. In a rare late-year development, the police arrested Prof Goyal in connection with the 2021 Diwali-day killing of his wife Seema, four years after the body was discovered inside their campus home. Investigators turned to brain electrical oscillation signature (BEOS) and polygraph tests, which reportedly indicated experiential knowledge of crime-specific details, strengthening their circumstantial case. The arrest was welcomed as a breakthrough in a long-stalled homicide investigation.

The policing in Chandigarh also focused heavily on armed crime and gang violence. As many as 94 persons have been arrested for possessing illegal weapons till date this year. Between 2020 and 2025, the UT police seized hundreds of weapons and arrested over 460 individuals under the Arms Act, reflecting an uptick in organised crime activity, including links to notorious gangs such as Bishnoi and Goldy Brar networks.

Apart from violent crime, road safety remained a significant concern. The city has recorded 86 road-accident deaths this year, with several high-profile hit-and-run and speeding vehicle cases. These include fatal collisions involving motorcycles, hit-and-runs, and incidents where drivers fled the scene, underlining persistent traffic enforcement challenges.In terms of the recorded crime data, the police statistics for 2025 show at least 26 murders, including gang-related killings, domestic homicides and random violent assaults, continuing a worrying trend of violent crimes that has seen periodic spikes over recent years. While only two of the murders involved weapon and shooting, the remaining 24 were all stabbing deaths. After Aditya Thakur stabbing incident, the Chandigarh Police also initiated a special drive to keep a check on bad elements and repeat offenders. The police also noted that juveniles were involved in a lot of petty crimes in the city.

A growing area of enforcement has been digital arrests in cybercrime targeting senior citizens. The UT police logged 16 digital arrest cases this year, whereas the number is far bigger for online fraud, identity theft, cyber harassment and financial scams to cases of digital impersonation and investment fraud. These arrests reflect the city's adaptation to emerging criminal modalities, with the Cyber Crime Cell actively tracking and prosecuting offenders.

Drug enforcement remained a priority, with the police registering hundreds of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Seizures included heroin, charas, opium and poppy husk, and authorities invoked the prevention of illicit traffic in the NDPS Act against repeat offenders to dismantle drug supply networks.

The police also saw changes in leadership this year with the appointment of a new Inspector General (IG), Pushpendra Kumar and later a new Director General of Police (DGP), Sagar Preet Hooda signalling administrative reforms aimed at strengthening crime prevention, community policing, and rapid response mechanisms.