Punjab police carry out special operation ahead of G20 meeting

Chandigarh, Mar 12 (PTI) Ahead of the G20 meeting in Amritsar, the Punjab Police on Sunday carried out a special operation across the state to check whereabouts and antecedents of all people booked under the Arms Act in the last five years, officials said.

The operation was conducted across the state simultaneously from 11am to 5pm and all commissioners and senior superintendents of police were asked to depute one team per police station for it, they said.

According to an official statement, the operation was carried out in the wake of the G20 meeting on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab Gaurav Yadav to check the whereabouts and antecedents of all persons booked under the Arms Act in the last five years who are out on bail or parole or have been acquitted.

The G20 meeting on education will take place from March 15-17 in Amritsar.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said 400 police teams involving 2,000 personnel checked as many as 1,343 people, who were booked under the Arms Act in the last five years. Of these, 1,194 people were on parole or bail, he said, adding one person was arrested during the operation.

He said the intent was to keep a check on the influx of illegal arms and ammunition from across the international border and the state borders, and maintain a vigil on gangsters and anti-social elements.

Such operations also help in infusing fear among anti-social elements and instilling a sense of security among the common people, Shukla said.