Interview: Punjab’s law and order better than most states, says DGP Gaurav Yadav

How do you assess the overall law and order situation in Punjab this year?

The situation is completely under control and is better than other states. Punjab Police faced several challenges and has proactively addressed them in close coordination with central agencies. Efforts are on to destabilize Punjab, but we are on top of the game.

Punjab has recently witnessed a series of targeted killings and attacks on police stations. How serious is this trend?

These are high impact crimes, but not high volume crimes. There have been 24 incidents, mostly grenade attacks, targeting police stations since September 2024. All matters have been resolved. The network behind them was busted, the accused were arrested and some operators were detained or deported from abroad. Every major incident has been detected.

But organized crime is more visible in Punjab

According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau, the national crime rate is 448 crimes per lakh population. In Punjab this figure is 227, which is almost half the national average. The crime rate of Chandigarh is 338, and in the case of Haryana, it is 740. In Himachal, which is a relatively peaceful state, it is 267. It cannot be denied that incidents of personal crime have a larger impact in Punjab due to the high reach of social media. But, the overall crime rate is under control.

Pakistan’s role is often mentioned in major crimes in Punjab. How real is this threat?

It’s very real. Pakistan’s clear agenda is to make India bleed by giving thousands of wounds. Narcotics, weapons and explosives are sent to Punjab. Pakistan’s intelligence operatives, whom we call PIU (Pakistan Intelligence Unit), use drones, social media and criminal networks to destabilize Punjab. The gameplan of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is to spread the narrative that Punjab is an unstable state. The situation of frustration is such that even if a few grams of potash is thrown at the police station, claims of grenade attack are made. Systematic efforts are being made to disturb social harmony in Punjab. After Operation Sindoor, a large quantity of weapons have been sent by Pakistan to Punjab. Nearly five times higher than previous trends. Now one kilogram of heroin is being dropped using drones along with one or two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa made pistols.

What new pattern of crime do you see in Punjab?

There are three major factors. First, since Punjab shares a 554 km long border with Pakistan, cases of drone-based smuggling of drugs, arms, explosives and ammunition are on the rise. A total of 1,500 drone intrusions have been detected since 2019. There are many government and non-government elements sitting there (in Pakistan) behind this. Second, foreign-based extremist and criminal networks, Khalistani elements and organized crime syndicates abroad are increasingly uniting to move arms, ammunition and drugs through rogue drones. There has been a gradual change in the integration of all these elements into organized criminal networks. The third element is the recruitment of foot soldiers through social media, money, promises of entry into foreign countries and the glorification of crime by foreign-based syndicates. All these dynamics create a complex internal security challenge.

The involvement of gangsters operating from abroad and inside jails like Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Goldie Brar in major crimes has repeatedly come to light.

I agree that the main bases are either sitting abroad or in jails here. There are about 50 crime operators based abroad who keep changing their locations. But we have been able to track them through intelligence, geolocation, coordination with CBI and other central agencies. Bringing them back is a long process, but we have had significant successes this year.

Why do gangsters and ISI keep looking for foot soldiers in Punjab?

They take advantage of unemployment, the lure of easy money and the glorification of social media to recruit and radicalize the youth. One of the accused was from Western Uttar Pradesh and the other from Haryana in the rocket-grenade attack on Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali on May 9, 2022. Youth involved in such crimes are often motivated not by ideology but by financial incentives and manipulation.

Do you see attempts to revive the separatist movement in Punjab?

Malicious attempts are being made again and again. However, the vast majority of Punjabis are nationalist and non-fundamentalist. There is no public support and hence, they have now moved towards alternative discussions to project Punjab as a disturbed region.

Opposition parties often claim that extortion calls have become rampant in Punjab. How true is this story?

Extortion is an issue in Punjab. But this is an issue of entire North India. About 80% of extortion calls are made by local criminals who have no gang ties. Only 20% are associated with organized gangs abroad.

How effective has been the anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nasiya Viruddh’?

This has been quite effective. The availability of heroin has reduced and prices in the open market have increased. There is a shift towards pharmaceuticals and synthetic drugs that we are dealing with. We have achieved a conviction rate of approximately 88% in NDPS cases, which means very high professional standards of investigation. Even the demand for drugs has declined due to large de-addiction and sports campaigns. The number of people in de-addiction centers has increased. This campaign is not just a show, it has resulted in a major change at the ground level.

Many politicians have repeatedly set deadlines to make Punjab drug free.

To a large extent, we are already moving in that direction. The supply of heroin has reduced due to the Taliban’s ban on opium cultivation. Anti-drone systems and enforcement have improved. Overall the availability of medicine has reduced significantly. With sustained efforts on the supply and demand sides, Punjab can become drug free to a great extent. This is a big war.

Punjab has long been pushing for a stringent law against organized crime in the form of the Punjab Control of Organized Crime Act (PCOCA). Is there any move to enact such a law against organized crime and witness protection?

The new criminal laws broadly define organized crime and provide for witness protection. We are moving from an investigation dependent on witnesses to one based on technical and corroborative evidence.

Politicians in Punjab have been accusing each other of giving protection to gangsters? How serious is the politician-criminal nexus in your view?

We have not seen this in the sense that whenever we have made an arrest, we have always had a free hand. I cannot comment on political statements. But whether it is drug trade or gangsters, I would say it is a pat on the back of all the politicians that no one pressured us in sensitive matters. There may be political patronage but at least I never got a call from any politician whenever we made an arrest.

Frequent transfers of police officers, especially SSPs in some districts, have given rise to a perception of political interference in policing.

There is no political interference in this. All decisions are taken according to the situation whether it is a matter of internal security or law and order. As far as transfers are concerned, they are done on the basis of merit. As head of the police force, I have always been a supporter of minimum fixed tenure not only for SSPs but also for SHOs.

The corruption prevalent in police circles has once again come to the fore with the arrest of DIG rank officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar by CBI with huge cash. How do you plan to deal with such officials?

Since Bhullar’s case is pending in the court, it would not be appropriate from my part to make any comment. But we are taking action against corrupt officials and many have been suspended and even dismissed from service. There is zero tolerance towards corruption.

Is policing being affected due to shortage of staff at police stations?

To some extent, yes. However, we have recruited more than 11,000 personnel in three years, and 10,000 more positions are planned. Promotion and technology are also improving efficiency.

How prepared is the Punjab Police to deal with the increasing cases of cyber crime?

Cyber ​​crime is a priority. We have invested heavily in cyber infrastructure, trained personnel, district cyber cells and rapid fund-freezing mechanisms. we have installed the pump Rs 40 crore to strengthen itself in this area.

What will be your priorities for 2026?

Capacity building, modernisation, cyber crime response, border security, police welfare, infrastructure, rapid emergency response and internal security. We plan to upgrade our response over the next year to the 112 helpline for which the state government has agreed to provide 200 crores.

What do you consider to be your most difficult decisions as DGP?

Decisions related to internal security, farmer protests, religious sensitivity and threat perception. This requires balancing law enforcement with public sentiment.