Following a spate of violent attacks on liquor contractors, Saini grants police a free hand to dismantle organized crime networks, promising swift and decisive action.
CHANDIGARH: Amid the severe criticism over the rising incidents of organized Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini has issued firm instructions to state police, giving them a free hand to eliminate gangsters and restore law and order.
The highly placed sources revealed that during a high-level meeting held recently and attended by Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur and senior law enforcement officials, the chief minister directed them to go any extent to make the state free from gangsters.
The sources said that the chief minister called directed to launch a special- drive against gangsters and organized crime and announced that “not even a single gangster should remain active in the state.”
“During the meeting the chief minister also emphasized that law and order is his government’s top priority and he directed the Home Department to ensure a visible, people-friendly yet fearsome police presence across Haryana”, said a senior official.
The crackdown comes on the heels of rising criticism over the rise in gangster-related violence, particularly targeting the state’s lucrative liquor trade. On June 13, a liquor contractor was shot dead in broad daylight in Kurukshetra, following earlier firing incidents at liquor vends in Rohtak and Yamunanagar. These attacks have crippled the state’s excise auctions with contractors fearing for their lives.
Earlier this month, In Yamunanagar gunmen even opened fire at the residence of a key contractor, halting the allocation of liquor vends worth crores. The police officials associated with the investigation revealed that the gangsters having links with operatives outside the country were using henchmen and social media to spread terror, warning bidders to stay away from auctions.
With the state eyeing an excise revenue target of Rs 14063.91 crore for 2025–26, the unrest has delayed the allotment of 260 retail liquor zones in 20 districts. So far, only 934 zones have been allotted across 22 districts.
Reacting to the violence, Saini ordered the State Task Force (STF) to be strengthened with additional personnel and resources. All pending criminal cases involving gangs and extortion rackets are to be reviewed regularly and resolved under a strict, time-bound framework.
The previous Manohar Lal led Haryana government had passed Haryana Control of Organised Crime Bill, 2023 to deal with criminal activities of organised crime syndicate or gang. But in the past couple of months the state has witnessed a rise in the criminal activities with the involvement of the gangsters requiring special drive from the state police. Meanwhile, the figures by the state crime records bureau witnessed a sharp decline of 19.6% in crime in the state in 2024 as the Haryana recorded 966 murders, 1388 rapes, 113 incidents of gang rape, 4,621 kidnappings, 9,488 crimes against women other than rape, gang rape or kidnapping, and 489 robberies during the year.
The special task force (STF) formed to deal with organised crime has arrested 1997 accused, including 542 most wanted criminals, 256 gangsters and their accomplishes and 1199 other offenders involved in heinous crimes. The STF has arrested 636 offenders in 2024, revealed the figures.
But the recent incidents have given opposition an opportunity to target the government as Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the government of allowing Haryana to become a “gangster state.” He alleged that criminals are running operations from inside jails, with extortion flourishing unchecked. “Jails have become command centers for gang lords, while social media is their new weapon of fear,” he added.
