Category: Crime

Patiala News (April 29): In yet another major blow to the deep-rooted terror conspiracy involving Pakistan-backed ISI and the pro-Khalistan terrorist network involved in the Shambhu Railway Track attempted IED blast case, Patiala Police, in a joint operation with State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar, has averted major terror plots with the recovery of another substantial cache of militant hardware including a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), hand grenade, explosives and high-end pistols from village Panjwarh Khurd in Tarn Taran, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

The recovered military hardware includes one RPG, one metallic IED (Sticky Bomb) weighing 2.296 kg along with three detonators with electric wire and one battery, two packs of RDX weighing 1.456 kg, one P-86 hand grenade, three pistols— 9MM Glock-18 CX ‘Austria’, .30 bore PX5 Storm and .30 bore Star Mark— along with five magazines and 84 live cartridges, two wireless sets Baofeng, one headphone and two timer switches.

The development came in continuation of the investigation into an explosion at railway track near Shambhu in Patiala district on Monday night, which resulted in the death of one Jagroop Singh alias Jupa, who was attempting to plant an IED that apparantly detonated prematurely.

Pertinently, in less than 12 hours, Police teams had arrested four highly radicalised individuals of this module identified as Pardeep Singh Khalsa, Kulwinder Singh alias Bgga, Satnam Singh alias Satta and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi and recovered one Hand Grenade, two .30 Bore pistols, technically sophisticated communication devices and Laptops had been recovered from their possession.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that this significant recovery is based on the disclosures by the arrested accused Satnam alias Satta— brother of prime accused Jagroop Singh, who died while setting off the IED.

“Investigations have revealed that this terror module was backed by a Malaysia-based entity, with financial support being routed through Malaysia by the main handler using the name Jujhar Singh,” said the DGP.

He said that Jujhar Singh, who was controlling the operatives of this module, was further in touch with USA-based Surinder Singh Thikriwal, who has been involved in several previous terror modules, while, Pakistan-based Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta— a designated individual terrorist— was also in touch with this module through a well-layered network.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the investigation is also focusing on determining the involvement of this terror module in Sirhind Railway Track IED Blast case that took place on January 23, 2026 and the grenade attack on CIA Moga on the intervening night of November 6-7, 2025.

Sharing operational details, SSP Patiala Varun Sharma said that the accused Satnam Singh specifically revealed that major part of this consignment was concealed by him and Jagroop Singh in their stable and car at village Panjwarh Khurd in Tarn Taran.

AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhjinder Singh Mann informed that acting swiftly on this disclosure, Patiala Police and SSOC Amritsar formed a joint team to conduct search of the locations disclosed by the accused and recovered substantial cache of militant hardware.

In this regard, a case FIR no 76 dated 28-4-2026 under section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Act, section 25 of the Arms Act and sections 13, 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Acts (UAPA) has already been registered at Police Station Kotwali in Patiala.

Punjab E News (April 29): As the decisive ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign launched under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann enters its 99th day, Punjab Police on Wednesday conducted 569 raids at the at identified and mapped locations linked to associates of gangsters across the state.

As per the information, the “Gangstran Te Vaar”— a decisive war to make Punjab a gangster-free state was launched by the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on January 20, 2026. Police teams from all the districts in coordination with Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab has been conducting special operations across the state.

On Day 99, Police teams arrested 247 individuals, taking the total arrests to 25,018 since the launch of the campaign.

Apart from this, preventive action has been taken against 92 persons, whereas, 35 persons were verified and released after questioning. Police teams have also arrested 11 proclaimed offenders (POs) during the operation.

People can anonymously report information related to wanted criminals and gangsters, and also share tips on crime and criminal activity, through the Anti Gangster Helpline number 93946-93946.

Meanwhile, Police teams have continued its drive against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” for 424th day with 144 drug smugglers arrested on Wednesday and recovered 4.1 kg heroin, 55 kg poppy husk, 647 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 1.13 lakh drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 61,562 in just 424 days. As part of De-addiction, the Punjab Police has convinced 42 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Over 2291 CCTV cameras installed at 585 locations along the border belt

Punjab E News (April 29): Punjab’s war on gangsters is no longer confined to encounters and arrests: it is being decisively pushed to the state’s edges, where a silent but far more strategic battle is underway.

Under “Gangstran Te Vaar,” the Punjab Police is aggressively strengthening the “second line of defence” — a deep, technology-driven security grid designed to choke the very lifelines of organised crime networks operating with cross-border linkages.

While the Border Security Force (BSF) continues to guard the international boundary, Punjab Police is ensuring that even if contraband slips through, it doesn’t travel far.

And increasingly, the numbers reflect that intent.

Over 2291 CCTV cameras have been installed at 585 locations along the border belt as part of this second line, creating a dense surveillance net across vulnerable villages and transit routes. In addition, 41 police stations in the border districts have been brought under CCTV coverage: feeding into a broader ecosystem of monitoring and response.

But this is not just about expanding surveillance, it is about making it count.

On the ground, checkpoints (Nakas) have become sharper and less predictable, backed by real-time intelligence. Vehicle checks are no longer routine but targeted. Anti-drone vigilance has been intensified, especially in districts that have seen repeated drops of arms and narcotics.

“The second line of defence is where the chain is effectively broken. While border sealing remains the first layer, any breach that occurs is swiftly intercepted within our jurisdiction. Our nakas are no longer routine checkpoints; they are intelligence-led, positioned and operated on the basis of verified inputs,” said Suhail Qasim Mir, SSP, Amritsar Rural.

“Simultaneously, village-level defence committees and local networks are closely integrated into the security framework, ensuring that ground-level movement does not go unnoticed. We are also continuously strengthening critical infrastructure, surveillance systems, mobility, and rapid response mechanisms, so that this layer functions both as a deterrent and a disruption point for any criminal activity,” he added.

Underlining the shift, the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the strengthening of the second line is central to the state’s anti-gangster strategy. “We are building depth in our policing. The focus is on dismantling the entire ecosystem, from cross-border supply to last-mile delivery. The second line of defence ensures that even if an attempt is made, it is detected early and neutralised swiftly,” he added.

For seasoned observers of Punjab’s policing landscape, this marks a clear shift. The focus is shifting from reacting to crimes to disrupting the logistics that enable them.

Because every drone drop intercepted, every suspicious vehicle flagged, every movement tracked through the CCTV grid directly weakens the ecosystem that sustains gangsters, many of whom operate remotely, often from abroad.

There is also a quieter but equally critical layer to this effort. Border villages are no longer being treated as vulnerable fringes but as active partners in policing. Local intelligence is being systematically integrated into the policing framework, with village-level vigilance and community networks increasingly feeding actionable inputs into the intelligence grid, significantly strengthening the depth and responsiveness of the second line of defence.

The strategy is layered, deliberate, and far more disruptive than visible crackdowns. If earlier the question was who pulled the trigger, today the focus is sharper: how did the weapon reach there in the first place.

As “Gangstran Te Vaar” gathers pace, Punjab’s second line of defence is emerging as its most decisive front, an unseen wall that doesn’t just stop threats, but systematically suffocates the networks behind them.

Patiala News (April 28): In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Patiala Police has successfully busted a Pakistan’s ISI backed Pro-Khalistani terror module responsible for late night attempted detonation at Railway Track near Shambu with the arrest of four highly radicalised habitual criminals and recovered heavy quantity of militant hardware from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Pardeep Singh Khalsa of Mansa, Kulwinder Singh alias Bgga of Village Bappiana in Mansa, Satnam Singh alias Satta of Panjwarh in Taran Tarn and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi of Goindwal bypass in Tarn Taran. The arrested accused persons have various heinous crime cases registered against them.

The recovered military hardware includes one Hand Grenade, two .30 Bore pistols along with ammunition, technically sophisticated communication devices to be used in further detonations and Laptops, with which they used to communicate with their handlers.

During Press briefing, DIG Patiala Range Kuldeep Chahal and SSP Patiala Varun Sharma told media persons that a Terror Module responsible for late night attempted detonation at Railway Track got unearthed within a record span of 12 hours.

They said that arrested accused Pardeep Singh Khalsa was the main kingpin of the module and was in close proximity with Malaysia based Pro-Khalistani terrorist as well as in close contact with Pakistan Based arms suppliers.

Accused Pardeep Singh Khalsa used to send radicalised youth to Malaysia for undergoing terror training and then assign them with the tasks of terror activities, they said, while adding that the accused has also made a radical organisation by the name of “Chalda Vaheer Chakarwarti, Attariye”.

DIG Kuldeep Chahal and SSP Varun Sharma said that during initial interrogation, it also came to light that the arrested accused persons have conducted a low-intensity IED blast at Main Line of Shambu Railway Station. Probe has revealed that the arrested accused persons were planning to execute further of attacks on Public infrastructure and Properties, they said.

In this regard, a case FIR no 76 dated 28-4-2026 under section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Act, section 25 of the Arms Act and sections 13, 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Acts (UAPA) at Police Station Kotwali in Patiala.

 

Amritsar News (April 23): In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border drug and arms smuggling module with the arrest of three accused, and recovered 915 grams ICE (Methamphetamine), five sophisticated pistols from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

Those arrested have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha (21), Sola Singh alias Sonu (29) and Karan Singh (22), all residents of village Sahanke in Ferozepur. The recovered pistols include two 9MM Glock and three .30 bore pistols along with two live cartridges.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms and were receiving contrabands through drones from across the border. Accused were acting as local handlers for the distribution of drugs and illegal arms, he said.

The DGP said that further investigation is underway to trace forward and backward linkages in this case to dismantle the entire network.

Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in a targeted operation based on secret information, police teams arrested suspects Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha, Sola Singh alias Sonu and Karan Singh.

During the operation, one .30 bore pistol was initially recovered, he said, while adding that on their disclosure, 915 grams of ICE and four additional pistols were recovered from their possession.

The CP said that probe has revealed that consignment of drugs and weapons were dropped in densely forested areas of the Ferozepur sector. The accused used to retrieve these consignments from such locations and further supply them to different areas, he added.

In this regard, a case FIR no. 105 dated 15-04-2026 under section 22-C of the NDPS Act and sections 25 (6, 7(iii) and 8) of the Arms Act has been registered at Police Station Gate Hakima in Amritsar.