In a major breakthrough, the Malerkotla Police arrested 13 Proclaimed Offenders (POs) wanted in various criminal cases in early morning raids across the city today. Special teams carried out simultaneous raids at various locations, leading to the arrest of these absconding criminals who had been evading the law.
The arrested accused have been identified as Daljit Singh @Gopi, Kuldeep Singh @Keepa, Rinku Pandit, Rajinder Singh @Pappu, Raj Kaur, Karanveer Singh, Parmjeet Kaur, Mohammad, Rashid Mohammad Irshad, Shenaz, Rehman @Rampu, Farid Ali and Bikar Singh.
SSP Malerkotla Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh told the media that special police teams led by all station house officers under the supervision of all sub division DSPs conducted early morning raids beginning at 07 a.m. and rounded up many people, apprehending the accused who had been evading arrest for a long time.
The crackdown on POs is part of Malerkotla Police's renewed emphasis on making the city safer for its residents. "We have zero tolerance for criminals and anti-social groups attempting to disrupt the peace in our city. These arrests should serve as a stark reminder that you cannot avoid the law for long," said SSP Khakh.
Among the 13 arrested are notorious criminals wanted for cases like assault, robbery, theft, fraud etc. Police recovered weapons, cash and other incriminating evidence during the raids even as the hunt is on for their accomplices.
The arrestees will be produced before a local court and police will seek their remand for further interrogation. The police have appealed to citizens to come forward and provide any information on criminals hiding in the city. A special helpline number has also been set up for this purpose.
Malerkotla Police has arrested 79 Proclaimed Offenders (POs) wanted in various criminal cases over the past one month as part of a special campaign against absconding accused. Today's arrest of 13 POs in morning raids takes the total tally to 79 in five weeks. SSP Khakh have promised more such action in the coming days.