Chandigarh, Feb. 14 -- In a significant escalation of its crackdown on organised crime, the Punjab government has set up a dedicated State Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) police station at Rajpura with jurisdiction across the state, aimed at centralising investigations against gang networks. The newly created police station will function as a central operational unit to handle cases involving gangsters across district boundaries, enabling coordinated action and intelligence-based policing. The notification, issued by the department of home affairs (Home-VI branch) and published in the Punjab Government Gazette Extraordinary, states that the governor of Punjab has declared the formation of the "State Anti Gangster Task Force police station" at Rajpura. The notification was issued on February 9 and published in the Official Gazette on February 10, 2026. According to the notification, the police station will have statewide jurisdiction and will function with immediate effect. It has been established under the provisions of clause (u) of Section 2 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and other enabling legal powers. "The move is intended to enhance coordination, streamline investigations and strengthen targeted action against organised criminal networks and gangsters operating across district boundaries," said DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav. According to information, Rajpura was chosen because of lack of space in Mohali. "Rajpura, being close to Mohali, makes day-to-day supervision by senior officers easier," said an official. With the menace by gangsters emerging as a major political and law-and-order issue in the state in recent months, the Punjab DGP has declared 2026 as the "Year Against Gangsters". Launching their flagship programme "War Against Gangsters", the police have carried out Operations Prahaar 1 and 2 over the past month, targeting gang networks allegedly run by around 60 gangsters based abroad. The police have also set up an Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell and launched an Anti-Gangster Helpline (93946-93946) to encourage anonymous citizen inputs. A senior AGTF officer said creation of a dedicated police station with statewide jurisdiction was expected to improve operational efficiency, ensure faster legal proceedingsand enhance enforcement capabilities. Notably, the government had earlier established a separate police station for the Anti Narcotics Task Force (formerly the Special Task Force against drugs). The Punjab Police also operate three State Special Operations Cell stations in Amritsar, Mohali and Ferozepur to handle terrorism and narco-terrorism cases....