12,000 cops hit Delhi streets in midnight patrolling operation

The exercise aimed to bolster security, deter criminal activity, and instil public confidence, police said.

Nearly 12,000 Delhi Police personnel, along with senior officers including Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha, carried out a city-wide intensive patrolling operation named General Gasht for four hours from Saturday midnight to 4am Sunday, officers said. The exercise aimed to bolster security, deter criminal activity, and instil public confidence, police said.

12,000 cops hit Delhi streets in midnight patrolling operation

During the drive, police checked 23,537 vehicles and took action against 17,105 under various sections of the Delhi Police (DP) Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). They also arrested 128 history-sheeters, known as “bad characters” in police parlance, and initiated legal action against 698 people under the Delhi Police Act, Excise Act, and Arms Act.

The operation was conducted simultaneously across all 15 police districts, with participation from senior formations and district units, officers said. Golchha personally visited the East, South-East, and New Delhi districts to inspect checkpoints, interact with officers, and review security readiness, the police said in a statement, they added.

“The aim was to prevent criminal incidents, combat organised crime, stop drug trafficking, and identify crime hotspots,” the statement read. Barricades and checkpoints were set up strategically, and preventive detentions were made to maintain public order.