Crackdown on Gangsterism in Punjab

January 23, 2026

Abhsihek Vij

In Punjab, the war against drugs and the massive campaign against drug traffickers have been successfully carried out so far. Under this campaign, the police actively conducted raids and seized drug consignments. Hundreds of people involved in the illegal drug trade have been put behind bars. Now, the Punjab government and police administration are focused on eliminating gangsterism, the gun culture, and the era of extortion. The opposition has complained that mafia members sitting in jails are issuing threats for extortion and planning murders from within the prisons. Hooliganism is on the rise in the state. There are also sporadic reports of snatching incidents occurring here and there. The government has taken note of this and has launched ‘Operation Prahar’ (Operation Strike) to crack down on gangsters.

The Punjab Police and the government are continuously taking strict action against criminal elements. A special operation will run for 72 hours, starting on Tuesday. The government has promised to eliminate the gangsters. Currently, two thousand police teams have been activated to take action against the gangsters, and they are conducting intensive raids. These teams comprise 12,000 police personnel. On the very first day, the police took 1374 people into custody. These include people who were providing support to the gangsters. The government has allocated Rs. 10 crore to reward people who provide information about gangsters and help in their arrest.

If any citizen helps in the arrest of a major criminal, they will be given a reward of Rs. 10 lakh. Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav said that police and intelligence agencies have reported that 60 gangsters are operating against Punjab from abroad, running networks of drug trafficking, arms supply, murder, extortion, and racketeering. The DGP stated that Red Corner Notices have been issued against 23 of them, and legal proceedings will be completed and notices sent against the remaining 37 gangsters within three months. The police have already identified 1200 associates and 600 family members of the gangsters in the first stage of this “Operation Prahar.”

Action will be taken against all those found to be involved with the gangsters. Young people now also have the opportunity to stand up against this gangsterism operating both domestically and internationally and fulfill their national duty. The responsibility for conducting this operation and managing its intelligence network has been entrusted to IG Ashish Chaudhary, who has recently returned to Punjab after a long stint at the NIA. In addition, three DIGs (DIG Gurmeet Chauhan, DIG Akhil Chaudhary, and DIG Kanwaldeep Singh) have been assigned to the Anti-Gangster Task Force. It should be noted that this structure is already in place.

The Anti-Gangster Task Force is already operational. Now, the actions under this task force will be intensified to deliver a decisive blow against the criminals. An officer at the SSP level can also award a reward of one to one and a half lakh rupees in this anti-gangster campaign. Police Commissioners and DIGs can approve up to two lakh rupees, and DCPs and officers above them can approve rewards exceeding two lakh rupees. In addition, a reward of 60,000 rupees will be given for the recovery of every kilogram of illegal substances.

The investigating officer responsible for securing a conviction will receive 40,000 rupees, and those responsible for freezing assets will receive 20,000 rupees. Clearly, the force is being motivated with these rewards so that they can step forward and confront the criminal elements and eradicate them completely. The sooner and more diligently this work is done, the better it will be for the peace, tranquility, and development of Punjab.