Frame SOPs to tackle gangsters' threat, HC tells Punjab, Haryana governments

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb gangster culture. This, the court said, would go a long way in restoring public confidence.

A single judge bench of Justice Harpreet Singh Brar said that particularly in the form of extortion rackets, has emerged as a significant threat to the social order and justice system. SOPs will dismantle such networks and ensure the safety of citizens, according to media reports.

Justice Brar said, “The judiciary must ensure that those who engage in such nefarious activities face the full brunt of the law, sending a strong message that such criminality will not be tolerated. This will be a step towards restoring public confidence and protecting the foundations of a law-abiding society.”

The court was hearing a plea for protection by a petitioner who was allegedly receiving threat from a gangster affiliated to the

Describing the case as a grim reflection of a growing pattern, the bench noted: “The story of the petitioner, unfortunately, is one of many… The glorification of violence, the normalisation of criminal behaviour, and the recruitment of vulnerable youth into gangs not only perpetuate crime but erode public trust in the justice system.”

Justice Brar said the SOPs should include setting up of dedicated anti-gang units with adequate training and technological support; surveillance of known gangsters using digital forensic science and financial monitoring with the assistance of financial institutions; intelligence-sharing mechanisms between Punjab, Haryana and central agencies to track cross-border operations; the establishment of an environment of trust to create networks of informants and encourage ordinary citizens to report incidents anonymously; the implementation of a witness protection programme; and prompt judicial handling of such matters through fast track courts to prevent evidence tampering.

SC moots special courts

On 24 April, in a different case related to Mahesh Khatri alias Bholi, an alleged gangster, the Supreme Court mooted setting up special courts for speedy trial of cases of criminals after the Delhi government referred to 95 gangster groups operating in the national capital.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh said dreaded gangsters were “misusing the judicial process” and taking advantage of delay in trial to secure bail on the ground of protracted trial.

“…these gangsters are spread throughout the entire belt… I have seen this in the past thirty-forty years. Entire belt of Sonepat, Panipat, Gharaunda, Bahadurgarh and going up to touching Jhajjar in Haryana. If it is NCR for you, then it is NCR for them also. Complete organised crime is going on here,” Justice Kant said.