Rural police acting tough against gangsters, smugglers

The Ludhiana rural police have been cracking the whip on gangsters, criminal elements and drug smugglers in the recent past. Besides busting foreign modules involved in unlawful activities and running extortion rackets, the police also freezed properties of drug smugglers worth crores.

Even in the recent brutal murder case of a kabaddi player, Tejpal Singh (25), in Jagraon on October 31, the rural police acted swiftly and decisively. After the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ludhiana (Rural), Ankur Gupta, constituted multiple teams, including those from various police stations, CIA staff, technical teams and CCTV checking teams, under the supervision of SP (D) Harkamal Kaur and DSP (D) Jatinder Singh.

Raids were conducted in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. With the relentless and coordinated efforts of the teams, two of the suspects, Honey Roomi and Gagan Killi Chahal, were arrested within 24 hours, along with the recovery of the weapon used in the crime. The third suspect, Kala Roomi, was apprehended before the cremation of the deceased.

Dr Gupta told The Tribune here on Friday that the investigation, CCTV and technical teams of police have consistently demonstrated exceptional efficiency and professionalism in solving serious criminal cases. “Our teams had travelled across various states and I, along with senior officials, had also been supervising every minute details of raids and technical aspects. I will recommend rewards for every team member before the Punjab DGP, who either remained in the field or had been helping in the case technically by staying awake for day and night for days,” he said.

Foiled major terror plot aimed at disturbing peace in state

DSP, Detective, Ludhiana rural, Jatinder Singh, said in August, the police foiled a major terror-related conspiracy, recovering a live hand grenade and a .32 bore illegal weapon. Five persons were apprehended on the spot, preventing a planned grenade attack at a bakery in Nakodar and saving numerous innocent lives. During investigation, foreign-based handlers behind the operation were identified and nominated in the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and correspondence is ongoing with foreign countries through the Ministry of External Affairs, GoI, for their deportation to India.

Properties of 70 smugglers freezed, 938 apprehended

Under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, 644 FIRs were registered and 938 suspects were arrested. A total of 10.377 kg of heroin, 3.65 kg of opium, 29.06 quintals of poppy husk, 425 gm of charas and 18,106 intoxicating tablets were recovered during the drive, leading to the seizure of substantial drug consignments and the arrest of key smugglers and peddlers. Under the NDPS Act, properties worth Rs 24.56 crore belonging to 70 drug smugglers in 47 cases had been forfeited while cases related to properties of seven smugglers worth Rs 2.25 crore are pending before the Competent Authority, New Delhi, for freezing orders.