138 held with huge cache of drugs, illicit liquor, weapons

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Khanna, April 26

The Khanna police have cracked the whip over violations of the model code of conduct (MCC), which has been in force since the announcement of the General Election on March 16, across three Assembly segments falling under Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

Zero tolerance

We are adopting a zero tolerance for violation of the poll code while maintaining strict vigil and ensuring the strict enforcement of the poll code across the district. Besides continuing with our routine exercises, we have set up special nakas to conduct search and seizure operations and are taking out flag marches to ensure free, fair and peaceful general elections. — Amneet Kondal, Khanna SSP

Cops have arrested 138 criminals under various offences punishable under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Excise Act and the Arms Act. A huge cache of drugs, illicit liquor, drug money, and weapons have been seized from them.

Besides identifying 48 trouble makers, the police have so far taken 158 history-sheeters and other anti-social elements under preventive custody. Also, 35 proclaimed offenders (POs) and parole-jumpers have been arrested while 558 of the total 564 non-bailable warrants (NBWs) have been executed in the police district, which is part of the Ludhiana administrative district.

Almost 75 per cent of the total 6,445 arms licence-owners had deposited their licensed weapons with the police — which was mandatory as per the prohibitory order issued by District Magistrate Sakshi Sawhney — till March 31.

Leading the special drive launched by the district police against poll code violations, Khanna SSP Amneet Kondal has directed the police to ensure strict implementation of the MCC and allow no violation of the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the conduct of a free, fair and peaceful election.

Sharing the action taken report, Kondal told The Tribune here on Friday that 10 inter-district nakas (check-posts) have been set up across the limits of three police sub-divisions and eight police stations falling under Khanna police district to maintain strict vigil on the movement of anti-social elements and check any illegal activity that may affect the smooth conduct of the parliamentary election. Two of these 10 special nakas have been made hi-tech and put under round-the-clock CCTV supervision.

She said regular coordination meetings at the district, sub-division and police station levels were being held with the counterparts and a special control room and a separate WhatsApp number have been activated to receive, share and transmit real-time information.

“As of now, two platoons of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been received by us, and these are being used as part of the flying squad teams (FSTs) as well as other condition-based maintenance (CBM) purposes,” the SSP added. that of the total 383 polling station locations across Khanna police district, 8 have been identified as vulnerable and 5 critical.

The SSP said 138 criminals have so far been arrested after 52 FIRs registered under the NDPS Act, Excise Act and Arms Act. A huge cache of drugs, illicit liquor, weapons, drug money and unaccounted cash has been recovered from them.

The seizure included 396.5l illicit liquor, 156.3kg poppy husk, 162g heroin, 6.55kg opium, 7kg ganja, 32g smack, 12kg poppy plants, 9,560 intoxicant pills and injections, Rs 61 lakh unaccounted cash, Rs 75,000 drug money, six .32-bore pistols, one country-made .315-bore pistol and 10 cartridges.

“In a major operation, we had intercepted Rs 25 lakh unaccounted cash at a hi-tech naka on March 30; similar recoveries and seizures had been made following which the cases had been handed over to the Income Tax department for further proceedings,” she said.

The district police chief said that 48 troublemakers have been identified so far while preventive action has been taken against 38 of the total 46 history-sheeters as the remaining eight were already behind bars.

Under other preventive action, 32 POs and three parole-jumpers had also been arrested, while 558 of the total 564 NBWs received since January 1 had already been executed and the process was on to execute the remaining six NBWs.

The action against POs and absconders has led to the arrest of several wanted criminals while certain such elements were still on the run. However, the entries of 53 POs and absconders have been deleted from the police records following the due legal process.

Giving the details of arms licences, the SSP said as many as 6,445 arms licence-holders possessed 7,668 licensed weapons in the district, of which 5,730 arms (74.73 per cent) have already been deposited with the police as per the mandate given in the MCC and prohibitory order issued by the DM. The remaining 1,938 licensed weapons were yet to be deposited, she said.

Kondal urged the licence-owners who have not yet deposited their weapons to hand them over at the nearest police post or station without delay, failing which stern legal action will be initiated against them.

“A special screening committee to scrutinise the licensed arms and gunhouses has been formed and is fully functional,” Kondal said, adding that there was no gunhouse located within the jurisdiction of Khanna police district.

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