Ludhiana: A high-stakes statewide crackdown on organized crime, dubbed ‘Operation Prahaar’, resulted in hundreds of arrests across Punjab this week, punctuated by a dramatic shootout in which a police officer was also saved by his bulletproof vest.The 72-hour intensive offensive, launched Tuesday by the Punjab govt, aims to dismantle the logistical and financial networks of nearly 60 overseas-based gangsters. In the Khanna and Ludhiana districts alone, more than 230 suspects — ranging from high-level “proclaimed offenders” to street-level drug traffickers—have been taken into custody.Encounter in DorahaThe most violent confrontation occurred when a team led by Station House Officer (SHO) Akash Dutt intercepted a notorious criminal, Harsimran Mand, in Doraha. Mand, who had been evading arrest since October 2025, reportedly rammed his vehicle into a police jeep before opening fire. A bullet struck SHO Dutt directly in the chest, but he escaped injury thanks to his tactical body armor. In the ensuing exchange of fire, police shot Mand in the leg and apprehended him alongside an associate. Senior officials praised Dutt’s “bravery and professionalism” in the face of the near-fatal ambush.Major drug module exposedThe operation also yielded a significant breakthrough in the war on drugs. Khanna Police dismantled a major trafficking ring allegedly orchestrated from within Ludhiana Central Jail. Following the seizure of 4 kg of heroin, investigators used recovered mobile phones to trace the module back to inmates who were allegedly managing “backward and forward linkages” from behind bars. The sweep across Khanna and Ludhiana Rural also led to the recovery of large quantities of heroin and illicit liquor, multiple illegal firearms and live ammunition, significant amounts of “drug money” and seized vehicles.Regional totals and preventive actionUnder the supervision of Ludhiana SSP Rural Ankur Gupta and Khanna SSP Darpan Ahluwalia, police teams conducted pre-dawn raids on over 250 locations. The Ludhiana Rural team detained 65 suspects for direct or indirect links to criminal networks, while the Khanna squad apprehended 172 individuals, including six long-term proclaimed offenders.A community shiftIn a rare display of public cooperation, the crackdown appeared to trigger a shift in the local meat market area, long considered a drug-trafficking hotspot. Following police awareness campaigns, several known peddlers and their families publicly vowed to quit the illegal trade, promising full cooperation with authorities. SSP Ahluwalia issued a stern appeal to the public, urging parents to steer their children toward education and away from the “allure of easy money” offered by gangster handlers.
