854 people held under Operation Gang-Bust 2026 in 2 days: Delhi Police
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has rounded up and arrested 854 people and registered 690 FIRs during a massive, 48-hour anti-organised crime crackdown under their Operation Gang-Bust 2026, carried out across six states ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, officials said.
"This was one of the most extensive coordinated exercises in recent years, conducted from 8 pm on January 9 to 8 pm on January 11, to dismantle organised crime syndicates with footprints in the national capital and the National Capital Region (NCR)," Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said.
The officer said that more than 9,000 personnel drawn from district units, the Crime Branch and the Special Cell were deployed simultaneously to conduct raids on hideouts of major and minor gangs. The coordinated action covered Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
"In just 48 hours, over 4,000 hideouts of organised crime syndicates were raided, and more than 6,500 targeted people were rounded up and apprehended for questioning," said the Additional CP.
He said that sustained field-level coordination was ensured to prevent suspects from escaping or going underground.
As a result of the intensive crackdown, 690 cases were registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, NDPS Act, Delhi Excise Act, Public Gambling Act and other relevant laws. Of those apprehended, 854 people were rounded up or arrested.
The police also released a gang-wise breakdown of arrests of shooters and active members of major and minor gangs. A total of 280 arrests were linked to identified gangs, while 207 arrests involved members of minor gangs operating in and around the capital.
Police said the arrested people included shooters, facilitators, logistics providers and associates involved in extortion, arms trafficking, drug peddling and other serious offences.
Police said that during the raids, under the Arms Act alone, 286 cases were registered and 300 persons arrested, leading to the recovery of 122 firearms, 189 knives, 129 rounds of ammunition, over 110 mobile phones and cash exceeding Rs 15 lakh. Two motorcycles and a scooter were also seized in these cases.
In NDPS-related action, 36 cases were registered and 43 persons arrested. The police recovered over 114 kg of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and charas, as well as cough syrup bottles, tramadol capsules, alprazolam tablets and buprenorphine tablets and injections. Cash amounting to over Rs 4.6 lakh, along with a car and a scooter, was also seized.
Action under the Delhi Excise Act resulted in 145 cases and 152 arrests, with the recovery of 28,364 quarters of illicit liquor, cash and vehicles. In addition, 137 cases were registered under the Public Gambling Act, leading to 285 arrests and the seizure of over Rs 5.5 lakh in cash. Under various BNS provisions, 86 cases were registered and 74 arrests made, with recoveries including cash, knives, mobile phones and motorcycles, police said.
Cumulatively, the operation led to the seizure of arms, ammunition, narcotic drugs weighing around 117 kg, psychotropic substances, illicit liquor, multiple vehicles and cash totalling over Rs 25.75 lakh, the police said.
Sharing details of last year's operations, the officer said that in the four-month period between September 1 and December 31, the Delhi Police carried out a series of targeted actions against gangsters and their networks.
During that period, seven gangsters were killed, and 21 were injured in exchanges of fire with the police. A total of 34 gangsters were arrested in cases under the MCOCA, while 149 were arrested in non-MCOCA cases. Two gangsters were deported from abroad, and trial in absentia proceedings were initiated against nine absconding accused.
Additional CP Kushwah said that 539 homes and hideouts linked to organised crime syndicates were raided during the four-month drive, leading to the recovery of 118 arms.
"Cash worth Rs 1.014 crore was seized, along with properties including 1.3 kg of gold, 14 kg of silver, eight cars, 11 motorcycles, 22 mobile phones and a laptop was seized," he said.
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2 killed, 3 injured in fire at scrap storage plot in outer Delhi's Pitampura
New Delhi (PTI): At least two people were killed and three sustained burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a vacant plot used for storing scrap cardboard and cartons in outer Delhi's Pitampura village early Tuesday, police said.
A PCR call regarding the blaze was received at around 1.25 am under the jurisdiction of Keshav Puram police station, following which police teams rushed to the spot and alerted the fire department, they said.
The fire erupted at a vacant plot near Vikas Niketan Society in Old Pitampura village, where scrap cardboard and cartons were stored under temporary tin sheds. Due to the presence of highly inflammable material, the fire spread rapidly, a senior police officer said.
According to the Delhi Fire Services, six fire tenders were initially pressed into service, which were later increased to a total of nine units, including water tenders, water bowsers, a quick response vehicle and other support units.
"The fire was declared under control at around 2.30 am after sustained firefighting efforts and was extinguished by 3.25 am," a fire official said.
The fire was reported in a cardboard godown comprising four tin sheds spread over an area of around 1,000 square yards. Two charred bodies were found at the site, he said.
During rescue operations, five people were found with burn injuries at the spot. All of them were immediately shifted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital in Jahangirpuri for treatment.
Two of the injured persons -- Viresh (28) and Satish (35) -- were declared brought dead by doctors, police said. The remaining three injured persons are undergoing treatment, they added.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that all five people were residents of the Nalanda district in Bihar and were living under tin sheds erected on the plot. They were engaged in collecting scrap cardboard and cartons from nearby markets and selling them, police said.
One of the injured persons, identified as Dinesh, told police that he attempted to rescue Viresh and Satish after the fire broke out but was forced to retreat due to intense flames and heavy smoke.
Further verification revealed that two of the four tin sheds were completely gutted, while the remaining sheds were partially damaged. Five e-rickshaws, a motorcycle, wooden rickshaws and waste cardboard were also damaged in the fire, police said.
The crime team and a forensic science laboratory team inspected the site and collected samples. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, police said.
