Police strengthen NH-44 security, intensify CASOs

Ramban, Nov 10: In a bid to tighten security and curb the activities of anti-national elements, the District Police Ramban intensified Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) across the district and along National Highway-44 on Monday.

Official sources said the intensified operations, carried out under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban, Arun Gupta, are part of a sustained crackdown on sympathisers and associates of Jammu and Kashmir Natives Operating from Pakistan and POK (JKNOPs), including their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) active in the region.

As part of the preventive measures, special checking drives and search operations have been launched in Ramban, Banihal, and Gool subdivisions. The objective is to identify individuals or networks providing logistical or communication support to anti-national elements and to dismantle any such ecosystem within the district.

Police have also stepped-up inspections of SIM card vendors to ensure strict adherence to verification norms and to prevent misuse of communication networks by criminal or anti-national operatives.

Additionally, coordinated vehicular checking on National Highway-44 has been intensified in collaboration with Army and CRPF Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), further strengthening the overall security grid.

SSP Arun Gupta reiterated the police department’s firm commitment to maintaining peace and security, warning that anyone found providing shelter, support, or assistance to JKNOPs or their sympathizers would face strict legal consequences.

He urged the public to remain alert and to cooperate with the police by promptly sharing any suspicious information through emergency helpline numbers or by contacting the nearest police stations or posts.

Search and crackdown operations continued on Monday, with police teams conducting raids in several areas of Gool, Banihal, and other parts of Ramban district. Some individuals were questioned in the presence of a magistrate as part of standard preventive procedures.

SSP Gupta emphasized that the police were determined to thwart any attempts by adversaries to revive militancy or disrupt peace in the region.

“The adversary keeps changing the modus operandi of their nefarious activities, but the police are equally committed to adapting our strategies to counter them effectively,” he said, adding that such preventive measures would continue to ensure that no Over Ground Worker could become active in the district.