Haryana Extortion Cases Rise 17% Amid Overseas Calls, CM Saini Reports

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday informed the state Assembly that extortion cases had increased by 17% during the first seven months of 2026, with police attributing much of the rise to calls made from abroad using digital applications. Responding to a Calling Attention Motion on the state’s law and order situation, Saini said 296 extortion incidents had been reported up to July 2026, compared with 253 during the corresponding period last year. He said the anonymous nature of overseas callers made it difficult to identify their location and identity.

Saini said all extortion cases were being shared with the Special Task Force and maintained in a central database to help investigators establish links between apparently separate incidents and the same criminal gang. He said senior officers were monitoring the cases, while police were examining technical and financial evidence, identifying accused persons and their associates, investigating criminal networks and coordinating across districts and states where required. He added that the Special Task Force and Anti-Terror Squad were conducting intelligence-based operations against organised crime, gangsters, illegal weapons and criminals involved in serious and terror-related cases.

The Chief Minister said Haryana Police had arrested 3,210 gang members during 2024, 2025 and up to July 2026. During 2025-26, 19 gangsters were deported from foreign countries and 12 were detained abroad, while police issued 144 Look Out Circulars and 50 Red Corner Notices and made 53 Interpol references. The police have also developed the ‘Abhedya’ app to block calls from dubious and unknown numbers. Under ‘Operation Trackdown’, conducted from August 1 to August 15, 2026, police arrested 4,771 criminals and recovered 216 weapons, 287 cartridges and 15 magazines.

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Saini also outlined measures aimed at strengthening policing and preventing crime. During ‘Operation Hotspot Domination’, conducted from December 1 to December 15, 2025, police registered 1,213 cases and arrested 2,200 criminals. He said 241 new criminal history sheets had been opened and 1,406 updated. On women’s safety, Saini said 33 women police stations had been established across Haryana, while the ‘Durga Shakti’ app provides immediate police assistance to women in distress. Twenty-four companies of the Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force and 46 patrolling vehicles have been deployed at sensitive locations, while a Women Police Durga Battalion has been established at Sunaria in Rohtak.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the Emergency Response Support System, Dial-112, which integrates multiple emergency services, including police, fire, medical, women’s, traffic and cyber helplines. A total of 630 Toyota Innova Crysta vehicles have been deployed as Emergency Response Vehicles across the state, while approval has been given for 250 additional vehicles. Saini assured the Assembly that the government would further strengthen crime prevention and speed up investigation and prosecution, stressing that no criminal would be above the law.

The remarks came during a heated political exchange with Opposition members, who had raised concerns over the state’s law and order situation. Saini defended his government’s record and accused the Opposition of using crime-related issues for political purposes, while also recalling alleged law and order failures during its tenure. He maintained that discussions on public safety should be based on facts rather than political convenience and said the government would continue taking measures to strengthen policing, tackle organised crime and improve the response to citizens’ complaints.

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