Rising crime forces Haryana govt to revive special task force

The STF will focus on the NCR, which is being used as a hideout by on-the-run inter-state gangs of criminals.

Trigger-happy gangsters and drug lords will be the key targets of Haryana police Special Task Force (STF) which is set to start the cat and mouse chase by the end of January.

Three arrested members of the Ashok Rathi Gang gang who were involved in the Harsih Bakery ransom case. (HT File)

Rising crime—shoot-outs, inter-gang rivalry and drug menace—in the state has nudged the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government to revive the STF which was disbanded in 2010 by the previous Congress government following extortion charges.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB-2016) data, Haryana ranked third in the country when it came to crime rates and sixth in crimes against women.

Initially, the STF will focus on the National Capital Region (NCR), which is being used as a hideout by on-the-run inter-state gangs of criminals.

The STF will be based in Bhondsi and the idea behind the STF having its base in Gurgaon is its nearness to Delhi and NCR.

“We would like to focus on the NCR first. Better coordination with Delhi police will be very useful in cracking cases and curbing gangs. We are equally concerned about drugs and its supply chain that will be under our radar,” said Prashant Agrawal, additional director general of police (ADGP, crime).

The STF will work under the supervision of the state crime branch. It will be headed by inspector general (IG) Saurabh Singh, a 1998-batch IPS officer. The STF will have officers of the rank of superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police and supporting staff who have been picked on the basis of their service records and competence.

The ADGP (crime) said that the STF will concentrate on smashing the drug dealers, the drugs supply chain, inter-state criminal gangs, illegal weapon suppliers, the gangs active in crime such as ATM and cattle, besides in shoot- out cases of inter-gang rivalry.

The police officer said that different groups of gangs are active in the state and that the menace of drugs was prevalent in some parts of the state bordering Punjab and Delhi.

The focus of the STF, ADGP Agrawal said, will be on prevention of the crime by chasing the criminals and nabbing criminals who can create a law and order problem.

The documentation division will be a vital wing of the STF. It will prepare records of the crime and criminals.

“We have handpicked the STF staff keeping in view their professional competence. Their objectives are clear. And the results will be encouraging and this specialised team of cops will work in close coordination with the local police,” Agrawal said.