History-sheeters on the radar: Panipat police tighten grip with mass arrests

The Anti-Narcotics Cell of Panipat Police arrested three more accused on Friday late evening in connection with the firing and extortion incident at a house in Biholi village near the Murthal bus stand in Sonepat, as part of Operation Track Down. Inspector Phool Kumar, in charge of the ANC, said the accused have been identified as Ajit, alias Aditya, Manjeet, alias Channu, and Ashish, all residents of Sampla village in Rohtak district. They were produced in court on Saturday and remanded to four days’ police custody.

With these arrests, the total number of accused held during Operation Track Down has now risen to 225. The Panipat police have been conducting an intensive crackdown on organised and heinous crime under the operation over the past 15 days. As part of the drive, police teams earlier arrested 222 individuals and seized six country-made pistols, 11 cartridges, three knives, one sword and one axe.

SP Bhupender Singh said the campaign focused on tracing and apprehending individuals wanted in serious crimes. Of the total arrests, five were linked to organised crime, 53 to heinous offences and 164 to other criminal cases. A total of 58 accused involved in murder, attempted murder, firing incidents, kidnapping, organised loot, robbery, extortion, NDPS cases and illegal weapon possession were apprehended during the drive.

The police had also arrested three accused in a firing incident at a home in Sewah village after a brief encounter. Similarly, the accused wanted for firing and extortion in Biholi village was earlier nabbed. Two persons accused of firing at a shop in Mandi village were also arrested, along with an accused in a youth’s murder in Vidyanand Colony, a weapon supplier involved in firing at a farmer and the police, and another accused who looted a man at gunpoint.

Police also opened the history sheets of 28 accused involved in multiple cases and updated the history sheets of 45 others. Nine accused were arrested with illegal weapons, while three drug suppliers were detained with 460 banned injections.

SP Singh said five notorious offenders with long criminal histories were among those arrested, including Mubariq, alias Lala (five cases), Manjeet of Binjhol (11 cases), Mohit of Vikas Nagar (three cases), Danish of Vidyanand Colony (two cases) and Mangal of Sanjay Colony (14 cases).

He added that the crackdown on criminals and conspirators would continue and urged residents to report any suspicious activity to help maintain law and order in the district.