Chandigarh, Nov 17: The Haryana Police, under their recently launched ‘Operation Trackdown, have, in 11 days, arrested more than 3,000 criminals, said officials, adding that this has reinforced the state government’s firm commitment to ensure safety and dismantle organised crime syndicates.

According to a statement released by Haryana Police, the intensive operation, launched on November 5, has now completed its 11th day, further tightening the grip of law enforcement across the state and instilling fear among criminal elements. On the 11th day alone, police arrested 96 notorious offenders involved in various crimes. With this action, the total number of arrests made under Operation Trackdown has reached 3,172.

These arrests include 610 individuals involved in serious and heinous crimes, while the number of criminals arrested in other cases has risen to 2,562. Providing further details, IG Rakesh Arya stated that on November 15, police made eight arrests in seven murder cases and one attempt-to-murder case. Additionally, 29 arrests were made in 23 cases, and 27 criminals were apprehended in 22 cases registered under the Arms Act for illegal weapons possession. In total, 67 offenders were sent to jail in connection with 54 serious cases.

To intensify the crackdown, history sheets were opened for 19 accused individuals on November 15, bringing the total number of criminals with newly opened history sheets to 150. This growing figure underscores the Haryana Police’s dedication to eliminating crime and reflects the operation’s highly effective results in advancing the goal of making Haryana a crime-free state.

In a significant development under the ongoing campaign, Karnal Police arrested four notorious criminals involved in cases of snatching and firing. Acting on the instructions of the Haryana Director General of Police, Karnal Police recorded two major achievements as part of Operation Trackdown, a special initiative aimed at curbing organised crime across the state. By demonstrating promptness, vigilance, and proactive strategy, the district police strengthened law and order through the arrest of four wanted criminals implicated in serious offences.

The first major action pertained to a robbery and snatching incident. On November 13, the accused and his accomplices robbed the complainant, Kamaljeet, who was walking along the canal bank toward the village of Kalri Nanhera. A case (number 650) was registered at Indri Police Station. Acting swiftly, a team led by Sub-Inspector Sumit Kumar, under the supervision of Inspector Vipin Kumar, Station House Officer of Indri, apprehended the accused, Yogesh, son of Dan Singh, a resident of Nauratha, Indri, Karnal.

It was reported that Yogesh is a hardened and highly skilled criminal. Besides the robbery case, he faces eight additional cases registered at Indri Police Station under various serious sections, including theft and offences related to the Arms Act. After extensive interrogation, Yogesh was produced before the court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody in the district jail.

Karnal Police also achieved another breakthrough in the CNG petrol pump firing case. Under the guidance of the Superintendent of Police, Karnal, and through continuous surveillance under Operation Trackdown, a team from Gharaunda Police Station, acting on credible information, arrested three wanted accused. These individuals had created panic by firing indiscriminately following a minor altercation with a CNG pump employee in Gharaunda on the night of October 13, before fleeing the scene.

The arrested individuals were identified as Jitendra, son of Satpal (Panipat); Sachin alias Ricky, son of Harish Bhardwaj (Shivah, Panipat); and Deepak, son of Karamveer (Jatal, Panipat). A case was registered against them under Section 109(1) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Arms Act in case number 624 at Gharaunda Police Station. All three were taken on production warrants for detailed interrogation.

The main accused, Jitendra, already has four serious cases registered against him, including attempt to murder, rioting, and fraud. After interrogation, all three accused were produced before the court once again and sent to the district jail.

Mumbai: A 27-year-old French tourist was allegedly molested in Khar on November 8, prompting swift action from the Khar police, who arrested the accused within 24 hours.

The complainant, who was staying in Bandra West, was walking along a road in Khar West around 9 pm when an unknown man on a two-wheeler stopped near her and molested her. She filed a complaint on Saturday, after which the police registered a case under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Given that the victim is a foreign national, the police formed special teams to trace the accused. After examining CCTV footage, conducting technical analysis, and acting on information from an undercover informant, the police arrested Sunil Vaghela, 25, a resident of Dharavi. The two-wheeler used in the crime has also been seized.

Bengaluru, Nov 17: A shocking incident of a 57-year-old woman techie losing Rs 31.83 crore to cyber crooks after being trapped in a digital arrest for more than six months has been reported from Bengaluru.

The police have launched a hunt to bust the gang following a complaint lodged at the East Cyber Crime Police Station in Bengaluru, officials said on Monday.

The victim transferred Rs 31.83 crore in 187 transactions. She exhausted all her savings and deposits except for her fixed deposits. The accused had assured her that she would get her money back by February after verification, but kept postponing the date on one pretext or another. Police sources claim that this is one of the biggest digital arrest cases reported in Karnataka.

Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police on November 14. She stated that due to her son’s marriage ceremony and other reasons, she had delayed filing the complaint.

According to the police, the cybercriminals kept the victim under digital arrest for more than six months and severed contact after extorting a huge amount.

Her ordeal began on September 15, 2024, when she received a call from a person claiming to be from a reputed courier company, who said that a package in her name — containing three credit cards, four passports, and banned MDMA — had been received at a courier centre in Andheri, Mumbai.

The victim told the caller that she lives in Bengaluru and knows nothing about the package. He then told her that since the package was linked to her mobile number, it could be a case of cyber fraud, and she needed to lodge a complaint. Before she could react, he connected her call to another person who claimed to be an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The accused ensured that she did not contact the police helpline or seek legal assistance by convincing her that she was being monitored by cybercriminals. Later, they issued direct threats, saying that if she shared the information, they would implicate her entire family in the case.

As her son’s wedding was approaching, she succumbed to the pressure and acted as per their instructions. The accused later contacted her through Skype video, identifying himself as one Pradeep Singh. He informed her that for a week, another associate named Rahul Yadav would monitor her. She was restrained at home during this period. The accused opted for work-from-home and stayed in her residence.

On September 23, 2024, the accused asked the victim to declare her properties to the Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). After she declared her assets and cash, the accused extorted money from her in stages. They even issued her a fake clearance certificate.

Further investigation is underway.