Punjab has by giant been firmly in peace mode for previous three a long time after vanquishing of a violent extremist marketing campaign of the ’80s. But, the delicate border state nonetheless faces a number of challenges on the law-and-order entrance. A stark reminder this month was a failed assassination bid on a high-profile politician exterior the Golden Temple and 7 terror bomb assaults on police posts.
Punjab director basic of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav throughout an interplay at Hindustan Occasions workplace in Mohali on Thursday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)
As director basic of police Gaurav Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer properly regarded for his professionalism and hands-on strategy, has stored his pressure forward within the sport by busting a raft of terror modules and relentless crackdown on Khalistanis-gangsters nexus and drug mafia. In a wide-ranging interplay with Hindustan Occasions on Thursday, moderated by Government Editor Ramesh Vinayak, he shared his end-of-the yr evaluation, challenges and priorities. Edited excerpts:
What’s your evaluation of the present regulation and order in Punjab?
Legislation and order in Punjab is among the many finest within the nation. By all parameters, the scenario is below management. All main crimes have been solved. By the requirements fastened to verify crimes, we’re among the many finest with regards to guaranteeing public order and tackling homicides.
The border state has seen and survived periodic makes an attempt to revive militancy and disturb its hard-won peace. What’s the worrying dimension of the disconcerting developments this yr?
Sure, the latest grenade assaults have to be on everybody’s thoughts. Punjab is a border state that has efficiently fought and defeated a decade-long terrorism within the early 90s. However, post-1992 terror handlers in Pakistan and their operators in overseas nations haven’t given up on their nefarious designs to resurrect a violent motion right here. The assassination of then chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, the 2004 Burail jailbreak, 2007 Shingar Cinema blast in Ludhiana, 2016 Nabha jailbreak, a number of focused killings in 2016-17 that took two years to be traced, and the murders of (Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief) Vikas Bagga in Nangal and (former militant) Rattandeep Singh at Balachaur earlier this yr, all present that Pakistan’s Inter-Providers Intelligence (ISI) has been making a sequence of makes an attempt to rupture the social material of the state. The latest grenade assaults are additionally the results of that desperation. Nevertheless, let me make it clear that I’ve instructed officers to not brush something below the carpet, as within the case of a latest blast that was initially termed a tyre burst contained in the (Majitha) police station.
Who’s behind the blasts at police installations in border districts? What’s the motive?
Pakistan is instantly behind these assaults. Now there was a change of tactic. They’re focusing on police stations. The thought is to create a notion that even police installations should not protected. Nevertheless, we’ve cracked 5 of the eight incidents. Within the remaining instances too, we’ve received clues and are within the technique of fixing them. The sample is identical. The controllers of those assaults are sitting in Pakistan. The desperation of those Pakistan intelligence officers (PIOs) has reached such an extent that they’ve now began calling their contacts in Punjab instantly and saying, “Kuch to karo (do something at any cost)”. They’re asking their contacts to simply click on a photograph and publish it on social media to construct a pretend narrative that even the police should not protected. These PIOs have a community of handlers within the US, Canada, the UK and different European nations from the place they function by way of people who find themselves both in jail or these beforehand related to them. They’re even utilizing children who should not ideologically inclined to Khalistan by luring them with cash.
Many Punjab-origin gangsters based mostly overseas are stated to have joined fingers with pro-Khalistan components and Pakistan’s ISI. How severe is the problem?
Simply to hint it again, this nexus of gangsters and Khalistanis began in 2016 after the Nabha jailbreak. Earlier than that there was clear divide between organised criminals and terrorists. Terrorists would all the time declare that theirs is a better trigger. After the Nabha episode, it emerged that Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo had indoctrinated gangsters within the jail. Since then, gangsters are simply obtainable to them. So far as the problem posed by this nexus, sure, it’s a massive process for us given the bigger pool obtainable in view of the gang tradition within the state. Earlier, solely radicalised children would commit terror acts. On the similar time, the involvement of gangsters has made it simpler for us to hint these instances utilizing their tech footprints. Being not ideologically dedicated, they aren’t a tough nut to crack.
A number of police probes have proven that Khalistani outfits are utilizing gullible youth and small-time criminals to create terror modules. What do you make of this pattern?
It’s a giant trigger for concern and a problem. However we’ve adopted a unique strategy to cope with such children. Actually, within the rocket propelled grenade (RPG) assault on Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran district in December 2022 , we let off six to eight youth who had performed a marginal function. Below our Saanjh Challenge, the police try to rehabilitate misguided children or those that are victims of medicine. We’re figuring out such individuals.
What has emerged from the police probe into the latest assassination bid on former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple. Was the alleged murderer Narain Singh Chaura performing as a lone wolf or was there a wider plot?
The investigation is underway. The title of 1 Dharam Singh has emerged within the case and he’s but to be arrested. Chaura is a hardened character. He worn out his telephone data, so we’ve despatched it for forensic checks. From the CCTV footage, we’ve received clues that a few individuals have been seen with him, together with Dharam Singh. The case is being probed in knowledgeable method.
There have been questions on how Chaura, who’s dealing with a number of instances associated to pro-Khalistan and terror actions and has been on the radar of central intelligence companies, was capable of get so near a Z-plus protectee?
The investigation is occurring and if we discover any lapse, we can be upfront about it. Each incident is a lesson for us. We’ve got taken mandatory steps after this incident, together with reviewing safety protocols in some instances.
There’s a rising notion that radicalisation is on the rise in Punjab.
Punjabis are completely non-radicalised. The so-called radical vote share has all the time been two to a few per cent. The widespread lots should not for separatism however there are a handful of individuals with an agenda who wish to vitiate the ambiance. Even for those who converse to individuals sitting overseas, 90% of them would say they’re in opposition to this radicalisation. However the notion created by few forces is as if Khalistan can be made in Brampton (Canada). Most individuals don’t converse up due to basic reluctance. They continue to be the silent majority.
Are sleeper cells of Khalistani militants getting lively once more?
PIOs are desperately utilizing their outdated contacts, drug conduits and espionage brokers of their determined bid to create pressure in Punjab. There may be intense ISI stress on outfits they’re defending to do one thing.
What has been the results of Punjab Police’s all-out conflict in opposition to gangsterism?
Prior to now two years, we’ve had a sustained crackdown on organised crime. I received’t say we’ve worn out this crime, however we’re registering instances in each name of extortion or another crime and clear up it by making an instance out of it. Should you evaluate such crimes in Punjab to what’s taking place in Haryana and the Nationwide Capital Area (NCR), I feel the lesser stated the higher. I don’t say issues are rosy in Punjab, however the scenario is just not as dangerous as it’s in different states.
I received’t touch upon sub-judice issues. Nevertheless, I’d undoubtedly prefer to level out that most likely the police are the one division the place motion has been taken (in opposition to officers) in drug-trafficking instances and involvement with gangsters.
What’s your evaluation on the drug menace which appears to be endless regardless of police claiming to have made file seizures?
On medication, we’ve made lot of inroads. Report seizures have been made this yr although it’s lesser than final yr because the Taliban have severely reduce down on opium cultivation in Afghanistan. Parallelly, there was shift in direction of pharmaceutical medication. New issues, corresponding to ICE, are additionally coming from Pakistan now. It’s a demand-supply sport. Police can solely tighten issues by way of enforcement. The federal government is different elements of de-addiction and prevention, and albeit, we admit this half is weak. Nevertheless, someplace joint efforts to curb the menace is popping within the state’s favour as sportspersons from Punjab have achieved properly within the latest Asian Video games. I received’t say all is properly however slowly individuals have began acknowledging medication as a significant problem.
What number of massive drug lords are nonetheless at giant?
Large ones on this commerce are overseas. We’ve got categorised round 20 individuals, most of whom are within the US. We’ve got put lot of massive fish of this commerce lively in Punjab in jail additionally. There was a drop in smuggling of heroin utilizing drones because the Border Safety Drive’s anti-drone expertise has been a hit. Of the five hundred drone sightings this yr, greater than 250 have been introduced down, main to large losses to drug lords.
Criminals in Punjab have been discovered to have quick access to unlawful weapons made in Madhya Pradesh. Police have busted rackets however there appears to be no let-up within the circulation of such weapons?
During the last two years, we seized over 400 unlawful weapons. With the assistance of the MP police, we arrested locals from a specific neighborhood who had arrange small factories there. I received’t say the provision has stopped however we’ve been capable of cut back it.
There have been frequent transfers of SSPs. Sure districts have seen police chiefs being shifted after mere three-month tenures. Doesn’t this hamper policing?
Many of the SSPs are having a good (length of) tenure. Furthermore, transferring a district police chief is the prerogative of the federal government. Generally, transfers are achieved as a result of the officers get promotion or go on central deputation.
Punjab has seen an upsurge in protest tradition, notably after the agitation in opposition to the three farm legal guidelines, and now there’s a potential flashpoint at Shambhu. How do you take a look at it from the prism of regulation and order?
We’ve got been capable of put issues on observe partly with the assistance of (Punjab and Haryana) excessive court docket instructions. We cleared land for the Nationwide Freeway Authority of India challenge in Bathinda, the place we had a face-off with Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) activists and at the same time as we converse, greater than 1,000 police personnel have been deployed to clear the land for the Gujarat fuel pipeline. Our stand is evident on these agitations: Your proper to protest can’t intrude with another person’s proper.
As you stated, a number of criminals concerned in organised crime and terror actions are sitting overseas. What number of criminals’ extradition is the state actively looking for?
There are about eight to 10 such individuals. Extradition is a long-drawn-out and torturous course of. Like within the case of a gangster Ramanjit Singh Romy, who masterminded the Nabha jailbreak, it took 5 years for his extradition from Hong Kong. Since extradition is a prolonged course of, criminals sitting overseas take it straightforward.
Your WhatsApp group name at 8.30am day by day has generated good suggestions from senior officers. How has this step helped?
I hope SSPs should not complaining that they need to rise up early to hitch this name (laughs). However this name units the tone of the day and we get to share info from one district to a different. There’s a day by day briefing on this name by the ADGP, intelligence, and particular DGP, inside safety, and particular DGP, regulation and order, by which they offer their views.
After two-and-a-half years on the helm, what are key adjustments you initiated within the police?
My focus has been on modernisation and strengthening police stations. I attempt to empower the pressure. We’ve got supplied new automobiles to all station home officers (SHOs), and I used to be informed this has occurred for the primary time after the tenure of (former DGP) KPS Gill. We’ve got sought the recruitment of 10,000 police personnel from the federal government to publish them at police stations.
Reported by Ravinder Vasudeva