Several criminals were still deep in slumber when they woke up to the knocks on the door of policemen. Armed cops searched almirahs, looked underneath beds and pored over documents even as bemused suspects demanded the reason for the police visit. In all, four firearms and 21 swords were recovered during the day.
The same scenes followed across the entire city from Moti Dungri to Harmara and from Galta Gate to Muhana.
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Ajay Pal Lamba said the mass arrests preceded long operational planning based on specific information about the locations of 382 criminals active in Jaipur.
The prime objective of the simultaneous raids was attributed to contain the growing network of armed criminals and their affiliates.
“Following the search, we brought 185 suspects for the questioning at different police stations. We have filed a total of 21 FIRs under which 145 are arrested in drugs, liquor and arms cases. The city police were keeping a close eye on suspects, criminal enterprises and land mafias for over six months now,” Lamba said during a presser.
Lamba said all policemen were instructed to carry firearms at all times during the raid and search operations.
Police said many of those held or rounded up for interrogation included members of notorious criminal gangs such as Munna Talwar, Ganga Pandit, Vinod Pathena, Vijaypal, Kamal Meena, Sandeep Bungla and Shehjad Dudi.
“The raids yield a trove of information about the fledgling gangs and their modus operandi. We have also learned that some of these criminals regularly intimidated their neighbours and shopkeepers in localities,” Lamba said.
While cops did not face any major resistance, some of the suspects said that they would come to police stations later in the day. Officials, however, remained persistent with their demand to check houses. “Every corner was checked. At several places we found land deeds and property documents which indicated that the suspects were involved with some land mafia to grab properties,” Lamba told TOI, adding that all suspects under police custody were being sternly interrogated.
