The quiet town of Khanna in Punjab was grappling with a dark reality – a surge in illegal weapons entering its streets. In just eight months in of this year, the police had seized a staggering 98 pistols, a number equal to the total recoveries made in the past four years combined. The situation was dire, but amidst the challenges, a pair of resilient women emerged as a beacon of hope, determined to put an end to the menace.
The women in question are SSP Amneet Kondal and SP Pragya Jain, who are smashing stereotypes with this endeavour.
Indian Masterminds exclusively spoke with the two officers to know more about their effort.
A RISING THREAT, A DETERMINED RESPONSE
With fierce women handling the charges of both SSP and SP of Khanna Police, the importance of safeguarding the community by seizing illegal arms from across the region was understood well by the police and quick action against the cause has brought in heaps of success.
Most of the recovered weapons were seized from check posts on the Delhi-Ludhiana National Highway, the lifeline connecting various parts of the state and neighboring regions. Khanna Police, under IPS Kondal and Jain’s leadership, worked tirelessly at these checkpoints, intercepting illegal weapon shipments. Their dedication and vigilance led to a significant increase in recoveries this year.
“We have two hi-tech nakas in Khanna involved in in-depth checking of vehicles moving through the highway. We start from the check points, and then gradually the CIA (Crime Investigation Agency) takes over. We then do the backward linkages of all these cases which has led to a very big haul of not only weapons but also drugs,” Ms. Kondal told Indian Masterminds.
INVESTIGATION
Reminiscing an incident, the SSP shared the case of a group of 4-5 boys travelling with weapons who were caught by the naka police. Upon further investigation, she came to know that the boys had backward linkages with a big gangster, and these young boys were mere foot soldiers with no criminal record of their own.
“They were forced into this by the gangster and were being extorted at their hands. Had they not agreed to do their dirty work, they would have been murdered. We rescued the boys and raised awareness regarding how young teenagers are being lured into the profession in exchange for some money, which ultimately leads to bigger and worse consequences.”
CONDITION TODAY
According to the officers, from January this year till now, approximately 98 arms have been seized by the Khanna Police which has been the highest in last four years combined.
The officer has also given her personal number to the public who can call or text her anytime and give her updates or leads on arms smuggling happening in the place.
“I keep the information anonymous and get it verified from my core team of people. Multiple times, these leads have also led us to drugs and weapons. This has also strengthened community policing for us as the public trusts us with their identity and information,” shared Ms. Kondal.
HANDLING LAW AND ORDER
According to Ms. Jain, Khanna Police has not only been able to seize the arms and bring peace, but through this, they have also been able to handle major law and order problems in the state, including the prevention of target killings of prominent personalities in the state.
Another feather in their cap is that during the Amritpal Singh operation, Ms. Jain and Ms. Kondal’s team were able to not only nab an important member of his group called Tejender Gor Khan alias Baba but were able to acquire quite incriminating materials regarding weapons and firing ranges through his phone, which helped them immensely.
Shattering the notion that this issue was confined to local criminals, Khanna Police unearthed international connections. In a significant breakthrough, they arrested members of two US-based gangs and recovered weapon modules. The involvement of global networks highlighted the need for a coordinated international effort to curb the illegal arms trade.
“We were able to bust several international gangster modules such as Amritpal Module, Luvjeet module, Darban Kalo, Sandeep, etc. They are quite infamous and notorious international criminals. With just a team of 10-12 members, working in a small district, we are happy to have successfully nabbed them,” Ms. Jain told Indian Masterminds.
NABBING WEAPON MANUFACTURERS
The officers and their team have also successfully nabbed several weapon manufacturers who are infamous for making illegal weapons from scratch and then selling it across the country.
“We have led several operations in MP, UP, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana. Our teams have gone there and nabbed criminals from all across North India. We have set into motion a lot of preventive steps, under the guidance of the SSP and DGP,” shared Ms. Jain.
SOCIAL MEDIA: A NEW BATTLEGROUND
The rise of illegal weapons was not just a physical battle but also a digital one. The women officers of Khanna recognized the role of social media platforms, especially Instagram, in luring unsuspecting individuals into this dangerous world. SSP Kondal has advised parents to monitor their children’s online activities, emphasizing prevention as a key strategy.
