Close to cracking Maur blast case, says Punjab DGP

According to the state’s top police officer, the Police will recruit about 4000 men and women in 2018. He said such recruitment drives would be undertaken every year henceforth. He said the police was all set to operationalise a Special Operation Group (SOG), which would be trained and equipped to be at par with the best special forces in the world.

Defending police action against UK national Jagtar Singh Jaggi, who was arrested for targeted killings, the DGP said they had enough evidence to against him. He said the police busted eight terrorist modules with the arrest of 47 persons and seizure of 43 weapons, including automatic weapons. Nearly 21 foreign handlers involved in providing logistical and financial support to these terrorist modules were also identified. He said in police’s tirade against the drugs, FIRs registered under NDPS Act had more than doubled to 12,309 from 5,906 in 2016, while heroin recovery had increased to 186.865 kg from 139.596 kg.

Responding to another question regarding action against gangsters, he said the police had arrested as many as 408 gangsters in the last one year.

The DGP said murders came down to 656 from 771, attempt to murder to 795 from 862, kidnapping/abduction to 1462 from 1591, robbery cases to 116 from 147, and dacoity to 26 from 43.