New Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday launched Operation Shastra, a 24-hour crackdown on the carrying and use of weapons—especially knives—in public places, arresting 47 people, including 21 notorious offenders. During the operation, police teams from three districts—Rohini, Outer North and North West—conducted intensive raids, resulting in the seizure of 31 knives, 13 country-made pistols, 16 live cartridges and 1 stolen motorcycle. Joint commissioner of police (Northern range) Vijay Singh said the initiative aimed at curbing street crimes involving knives and firearms. “The focus was on offenders with repeated involvement in crimes such as robbery, extortion, snatching, Arms Act violations and attempted murder,” he said. Police said several of the seized knives were used for intimidation and assaults. In several cases, individuals openly brandished knives in public to create fear and assert dominance in their areas. Investigations further revealed that some offenders flaunted stylised knives—often designed with dragon-shaped handles or decorative blades—on social media platforms. Some of the targeted offenders were linked to previous murder cases. Dinesh alias Doremon, a history-sheeter with 17 previous cases, was arrested with firearms and a stolen motorcycle. Gaurav, who has two prior cases, was picked up after police found him flaunting firearms and knives on social media. He had earlier been involved in a murder case and an Arms Act case. Mahesh, alias Chikna, another history-sheeter, was found involved in seven cases, including two murder cases and an Arms Act violation. In another case, a criminal named Nasiruddin, who had seven previous cases against him, was arrested. Although he frequently shifted addresses, he could not evade the police this time. The drive ran from 8 am on March 11 to 8 am on March 12. During the operation, around 9.3 kg of ganja was seized under the NDPS Act. Additionally, 25 cases were registered under the Excise Act, resulting in 24 arrests and the recovery of 723 litres of illicit liquor. Seven cases under the Gambling Act were also registered, leading to 14 arrests. The data further shows Outer North district accounted for 13 arrests, 13 cases, four pistols, six live cartridges and nine knives; Rohini District recorded 18 arrests, 17 cases, eight pistols, nine live cartridges and nine knives; while North West district saw 16 arrests, 13 cases and the seizure of 12 knives, one pistol and two live cartridges.
