Chandigarh, Jan 14: The Punjab Police have launched a massive coordination effort with neighboring and distant states to apprehend fugitives involved in targeted killings and extortion. By leveraging intelligence-led operations, the force has managed to secure arrests from as far as West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, effectively shrinking the space for the state’s most-wanted criminals to operate.
“Criminals have realized that no matter where they are, they cannot escape the grip of the law,” a government spokesperson noted during a briefing on the recent spike in successful operations.
One of the most significant breakthroughs occurred in the Sarpanch Jarmail Singh murder investigation, where a specialized team traveled to Raipur to secure the suspects. This was followed by another cross-country operation where investigators tracked suspects in the Rana Balachauria murder case to West Bengal. During that specific pursuit in Mohali, the police engaged in an encounter where one suspect was killed, demonstrating the high-risk nature of these recent crackdowns.
In a move to curb violence before it occurs, the Barnala Police recently intercepted a plot targeting singer Gulab Sidhu. By arresting three conspirators, including a local village head, the police prevented what could have been a high-profile assassination. This preventive strike is being viewed as a critical component of the state’s broader mandate to neutralize threats before they escalate into public tragedies.
“We are not in the mood to spare criminals at any cost,” a department representative directly said following the arrests in the Sidhu case.
The administration’s stance was further reinforced in Tarn Taran, where an individual accused of killing a local shopkeeper was neutralized in a police encounter. This series of actions reflects a shift toward a more aggressive policing model designed to break the morale of organized gangs. The government continues to provide full logistical support to the police, asserting that the strategy of quick response and strong willpower is essential for maintaining law and order across the state.
