Latest news with #GujaratPolice
New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Gujarat mandates female cops on girls' school trips to boost safety
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Police has mandated the presence of two uniformed policemen on all school trips, linking security directly to student safety. When female students are involved, the directive tightens to require female officers alongside their male counterparts. This move aims to safeguard students during educational outings while strengthening ties between youth and law enforcement. Following directives from the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister at the recent DGP-IGP Conference-2024, Gujarat's State Police Chief Vikas Sahay has announced a stringent new safety protocol. Effective immediately, all school-organised trips, tours, picnics, and visits across government, semi-government, and private institutions must include the presence of two uniformed policemen. The rule intensifies when girl students are involved, mandating the accompaniment of women police officers to ensure their protection, says DGP Office Official Press Release.
NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
Footprints In The Sand: How Pagis' Unique Skill Helped Gujarat During Op Sindoor
They can identify the enemy just by seeing footprints in the white desert sand in Kutch, and technical advancements may have been made, but security forces continue to depend on them for their expertise, including during Operation Sindoor. The unique skill has been perfected by the 'Pagis' (meaning scouts), local residents who walk barefoot in the white desert, their eyes focused on patterns in the vast landscape, noticing even a slight disturbance. After the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor with precision strikes on terror infrastructure inside Pakistan on May 7. Pakistan then targeted civilian and military sites in India on three successive days, prompting India to strike back and attack military installations, including key air bases. Along with other border states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, Gujarat was also targeted by Pakistan, and the services of Pagis were mobilised by the authorities. Gujarat shares a 508-km border with Pakistan. The land border between the two countries is mostly the Rann of Kutch, a massive salt marsh in the Thar Desert that is difficult for security forces to patrol. Additionally, over half a dozen districts in the state share a sea border with the neighbouring country. Officials from the Border Security Force and Gujarat Police said the skills of the Pagis have been utilised during peacetime - when they help thwart the smuggling of drugs and other contraband - and during phases of tensions with Pakistan, including 1965, 1971 and the Kargil war - and the escalation after Operation Sindoor was no different. Pagis use their extraordinary skill and instinct to locate not only places in the desert without any maps but people and animals in a group - guessing their weight, height and even gender - by merely seeing the footprints of both camels and humans. "Naturally, they make the most coveted and unparalleled 'soldiers' on the line of defence," an official said. "We used all our resources, including the Pagis, during Operation Sindoor. We have a sufficient number of Pagis in the border areas, who work for us during peacetime as well. Pagis are experienced, and though some may have retired from our services, we still depend on them for their expertise. They help track the intruders in the border areas," said Vikas Kunda, Superintendent of Police, Kutch West. The Pagis, the officials said, helped them be sure that there were no enemies - terrorists or otherwise - entering Gujarat from the Pakistani side. The Gujarat Police have a post called Pagi and 25 Pagis were recruited by the force in a single year in 2014. Their numbers have only increased since then. The Pagis also serve as guides to the Border Security Force. The BSF conducts extensive patrolling on 168 km of the Pakistani border, where fencing is not feasible. This is where the skills of the Pagi prove especially useful - many Pakistani drug smugglers have been arrested or killed in these areas and drugs worth crores have been seized because of the information provided by them. History Ranchhor Das Rabari, a scout and tracker who helped the Army on the India-Pakistan border at Kutch in 1971, was immortalised by Sanjay Dutt in the Hindi movie 'Bhuj: The Pride of India', which also starred Ajay Devgn. General Sam Manekshaw bestowed the title of Pagi on Ranchhor Rabari for being a scout for the Army since 1965. The title was a mark of respect and authority, recognising his knowledge and unique skills. The Gujarat State School Textbook Board introduced a chapter on Ranchhor Pagi in its Gujarati subject textbook for Class 7 for the 2023-24 academic year. There is also a Ranchhor Das checkpost at the Kutch border named after him. Osman Abdulla Namori, a 71-year-old Paggi, retired from the Gujarat Police two years ago, but his services were called upon during the recent tensions. "My eyes have become weak. But they are still trained to identify the trespasser in the sands. I also help detect thieves and criminals in my area in Nana Dinara (near Khavda village in Kutch district)." About passing on his skills to the younger generation, he says, "My children didn't have the potential to take up my profession. But other youngsters in my village have been inspired. It requires extraordinary skill to read the little nuances from marks in the desert. Not everyone has it," says Namori.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Close aide of terrorist Arsh Dalla nabbed from Gujarat
Punjab Police have arrested a close associate of foreign-based terrorist Arsh Dalla and Jindi Mehandipuria, who is a brother of slain terrorist Teja Mehandipuri, from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, said director general of police Gaurav Yadav here on Monday. The operation was jointly conducted by counter-intelligence (CI), Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur Police with the support of Gujarat Police. DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused Lavish was acting under the direct instructions of Dalla and was engaged in extortion activities, including firing at targets to intimidate victims. Also Read | 'Pakistan will be wiped out': J&K LG Manoj Sinha's stern warning for 'terrorist nation' 'The accused has a criminal background with multiple cases about murder, attempted extortion through gunfire, and other serious offences have been registered against him,' he added. He said that accused Lavish has remained in constant communication with his foreign-based handlers and was preparing to execute a sensational crime in Punjab. Sharing operation details, assistant inspector general CI-Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that Punjab Police had been following the trail of the accused Lavish for the last few months, and following the technical and human intel, police teams managed to track his location in Gujarat. Also Read | Barbaric terrorism backed by nuclear power biggest danger to world: MJ Akbar in Paris 'With the support of Gujarat Police, we have successfully arrested him from the area of Usmanpura in Gujarat,' he said. The AIG said that a preliminary investigation has revealed that accused Lavish had conducted a recce of a Rahon-based liquor contractor and a Nawanshahr-based travel agent from whom Dalla had demanded extortion of ₹50 lakh each. Hoshiarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Malik said that the accused had been absconding since May 2024 after committing murder in the Model Town area of Hoshiarpur. Also Read | 'Dare to remove women's sindoor': PM Modi warns Pakistan, terrorists The arrested accused had also fired gunshots outside the house in Sukhdev Nagar to intimidate the owner to extort money, he said, while adding that further investigation is underway to identify additional operatives and trace both backwards and forward linkages in this case.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Arsh Dalla's associate arrested from Gujarat
Jalandhar: Punjab Police arrested a close associate of foreign-based terrorist Arsh Dalla from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, Lavish, acted under the direct instructions of Dalla and was engaged in extortion activities, including firing at targets to intimidate victims. "The accused has a criminal background with multiple cases pertaining to murder, attempted extortion through gunfire, and other serious offences registered against him," he said. "The accused was in constant communication with his foreign-based handlers and was preparing to execute a sensational crime in Punjab," said the DGP, while appreciating the cooperation extended by the Gujarat Police. Sharing operation details, Jalandhar counter-intelligence AIG Navjot Singh Mahal said that Punjab Police had been following the trail of Lavish for the last few months. Following technical and human intelligence, police teams managed to track his location in Gujarat. "With the support of Gujarat Police, we arrested him from the area of Usmanpura in Gujarat," he said. The AIG mentioned that preliminary investigation revealed that Lavish conducted reconnaissance of a Rahon-based liquor contractor and a Nawanshahr-based travel agent, from whom Dalla demanded extortion of Rs 50 lakh each. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cặp EUR/USD: Đà Tăng? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Hoshiarpur SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik said that Lavish was absconding since May 2024 after committing murder in the Model Town area of Hoshiarpur. "The accused also fired gunshots outside the house in Sukhdev Nagar to intimidate the owner to extort money," he said. The operation was jointly conducted by counter-intelligence, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur police, with the support of Gujarat Police.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Hans India
Crackdown on drug racket in Gujarat, one arrested
Himmatnagar (Gujarat): In an operation against narcotics trafficking, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of the Gujarat Police carried out a well-coordinated raid targeting an illegal drug operation in the state's Sabarkantha district. Acting on intelligence inputs, the SMC team raided the residence of Khursidkhan Sadatkhan Pathan in Sanjarnagar, Madani Society, in Himmatnagar city in the district. The two-day raid, conducted under the provisions of the NDPS Act Sections 8(C), 22(C), 29 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act Sections 111(3) and 111(4), led to a major seizure of drugs and related materials. During the search, the team recovered 195.280 grams of Mephedrone, a banned synthetic stimulant, valued at Rs 19,52,800. In addition, the police seized two mobile phones worth Rs 10,000, Rs 79,280 in cash, two weighing scales valued at Rs 1,000, and 136 blank zipper bags used for packaging drugs. The total value of seized muddamal stands at Rs 20,43,080. The raid was executed by Police Inspector (PI) C.B. Chaudhari and PSI V.K. Rathod of the State Monitoring Cell Police Station. Two individuals were arrested during the operation. The primary accused, Khursidkhan Sadatkhan Pathan, is alleged to have stored and sold the Mephedrone from his residence. He has a previous criminal record, having been booked in 2007 at Sector 7 Police Station in Gandhinagar under IPC Sections 365 (kidnapping), 384 (extortion), and 403 (misappropriation of property). The second accused, Nomanmiya Sakirmiya Parmar, a resident of Kasba Vad in Harsol village, Talod taluka, Sabarkantha, was reportedly the buyer of the narcotic substances. He also has a history of criminal charges, including IPC Sections 504 and 506(2), for criminal intimidation, registered at Talod Police Station in 2021. The SMC has also identified a third individual, Irfankhan Nisarkhan Pathan, as a wanted accused in the case. A resident of the same locality as Khursidkhan, Irfankhan is believed to have sourced the Mephedrone from Madhya Pradesh and supplied it to Khursidkhan for distribution. He is considered the key link in the supply chain. Irfankhan has a previous NDPS case registered at Himmatnagar A Division Police Station (Cr. No. 1751/2021), involving the seizure of 348.600 grams of Mephedrone valued at Rs 34.86 lakh. He was released on bail six months ago in that case. Gujarat has emerged as a significant hub in India's battle against narcotics, with recent data highlighting a sharp increase in drug seizures and arrests. In 2024 alone, authorities confiscated narcotic and psychotropic substances valued at Rs 7,303 crore, with a substantial portion of these shipments originally intended for Punjab. However, the rising number of seizures within the state suggests a growing local consumption, particularly of synthetic drugs like mephedrone. The state's strategic location, featuring a vast coastline and major ports, has made it a key transit point for drug trafficking. This has led to increased vigilance and operations by law enforcement agencies. In a notable operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), seized 907 kg of mephedrone from a manufacturing facility in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Further emphasising the state's proactive measures, the Gujarat government has rewarded over Rs 11 crore to 970 informants over the past three years for assisting in drug-related apprehensions.
