Punjab Police Launched Operation Prahar | 21 Jan 2026

Why in News? 

Punjab Police has launched Operation Prahar, a large-scale crackdown to dismantle gangster networks operating from abroad and within Punjab. 

Key Points 

• Operation Prahar: A 72-hour statewide special operation aimed at breaking the entire ecosystem of organised gangsterism. 
• Nodal Agency: The operation is being led by Punjab Police under the direction of DGP Gaurav Yadav. 
• Operational Scale: Police personnel conducted simultaneous raids across the state to prevent information leakage. 
  • Focus on freezing properties, tracking financial trails, and invoking stringent laws against those abetting gangster activities. 
• Extradition Mechanism: A special Overseas Fugitive Tracking & Extradition Cell (OFTEC) has been activated to track criminals hiding abroad and work with foreign agencies to bring them back to India. 
• Governance Objective: The operation aligns with the state government’s zero-tolerance policy on organised crime to improve law and order and public security in Punjab.