In New Year run up, Delhi Police apprehend 966 under ‘Operation Aaghat’

A total of 116 listed bad characters have been detained and action was taken against 1,306 persons under the Delhi Police Act, while 231 two-wheelers were seized for violations.

The Delhi Police claimed to have apprehended 966 people in a crackdown against organised crime, street offences, and activities of habitual criminals in view of heightened public movement during year-end festivities.

Police said intensified patrolling and night surveillance led to a reduction in PCR calls related to street crime over the past month.

In the month-long “Operation Aaghat” (meaning heavy blow), arms, drugs, illegal liquor, and vehicles were seized during a preventive crackdown in southeast Delhi.

“We wanted to prevent the occurrence of any untoward incident during New Year celebrations. Our teams worked for weeks and caught over 331 accused under the Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act, and the Public Gambling Act, while 504 were apprehended under other provisions. We have also taken action against bad characters in the area and made huge recoveries, such as 21 country-made pistols, 20 live cartridges, and 27 knives under the Arms Act. We also seized 12,258 quarters of illicit liquor, 6.01kg of ganja, and ₹2.36 lakh from gamblers. A total of 310 mobile phones, six two-wheelers, and one four-wheeler were also recovered,” Dr Hemant Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said.

Police said more than 600 police personnel were deployed across the district. A total of 116 listed bad characters have been detained and action was taken against 1,306 persons under the Delhi Police Act, while 231 two-wheelers were seized for violations.

Officials said stringent legal provisions, including sections 111 (organised crime) and 112 (petty organised crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), will be invoked in suitable cases, and proposals for the externment of repeat offenders are also being initiated.

Police added that intensified patrolling, vehicle checking, and night surveillance had led to a reduction in PCR calls related to street crime in the district over the past month.