Har police says preventive strategy saved 121 youth from organised crime

The Haryana Police on Tuesday said 121 youths, who were found to be in contact with major criminal gangs in the state, were saved from the clutches of organised crime due to an effective preventive strategy. Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF), while launching a decisive offensive against the spread of organised crime and gangster networks, successfully identified 121 youths across the state and steered them towards the right path under the comprehensive strategy, they said.

“These youths were found to be in contact with major criminal gangs of Haryana through various means. This initiative reflects the far-sighted policy of Haryana Police aimed not only at law enforcement but also at ensuring social security,” an official statement said.

DGP Ajay Singhal said, “One of the biggest challenges today is to guide youths at the crucial juncture where they can either become partners in nation-building or fall into the trap of crime”. He said the timely identification of 121 youths by STF Haryana and keeping them away from organised crime through counselling is not merely police action, but a visionary step towards safeguarding society. According to Singhal, the fight against gangster culture, violence and glorification of crime is a responsibility shared by police, families and society.

Along with this, the Cyber Police and district-level police units are also actively playing a significant role in similar preventive and corrective activities, he said. Singhal clarified that Haryana Police’s objective is not only to punish criminals but also to save those youths who are on the verge of going astray. During in-depth technical and field-level monitoring by STF, it came to light that these youths were active on social media platforms linked to gangster networks and were showing attraction towards gang activities, the statement said. “The Haryana Police operates a multi-layered, technology-based surveillance system to identify youths who come into contact with or under the influence of gangsters through social media,” it said. It further said the information about youths who could be at risk emerges during interrogation of arrested accused in criminal cases and routine analysis of available digital evidence. Active criminal profiles on social media and the patterns of activities associated with them are also monitored simultaneously to assess which youths are likely to be negatively influenced. “Gangsters and their associates lured youths through greed and temptation.