Punjab rolls out reward policy offering up to ₹2 lakh for tips on gangsters

The Punjab government has introduced a new reward-based informant policy aimed at strengthening its crackdown on gangster networks, under which individuals providing credible information on criminals will be rewarded between ₹1 lakh and over ₹2 lakh , officials said on Saturday.

The policy has been rolled out as part of the state’s ongoing ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign , which focuses on dismantling organised crime syndicates and enhancing police intelligence through public participation. Under the new framework, police personnel across ranks have been empowered to sanction rewards depending on the sensitivity and impact of the information provided.

According to the guidelines, Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) can approve rewards up to ₹1 lakh, while Commissioners of Police, Range IGs, and DIGs are authorised to grant up to ₹1.5 lakh. Heads of police wings, including Special DGPs and ADGPs , may sanction rewards up to ₹2 lakh, with amounts above this threshold requiring approval from the Director General of Police .

Officials said the reward will be disbursed only after verification of inputs, and the identity of informants will remain strictly confidential . A dedicated Anti-Gangster Helpline (9394693946) has also been launched for sharing information. Authorities have released a list of 28 most-wanted criminals as part of the initiative.

ADGP Pramod Ban said the objective is to build a stronger intelligence network by incentivising public cooperation, adding that credible information leading to arrests of wanted, proclaimed, or habitual offenders will be rewarded. Since the launch of the campaign, police have conducted 56,487 raids , arrested 19,894 individuals , taken preventive action against 9,353 persons , and arrested 851 proclaimed offenders .

However, the policy has also drawn potential concerns . Security analysts caution that while incentivising informants may improve intelligence flow, it could also lead to risks such as false or malicious tip-offs, misuse of anonymity, and pressure on vulnerable individuals to inform , potentially complicating investigations if not carefully regulated.

Authorities maintain that strict verification mechanisms are in place to prevent misuse, reiterating that the campaign aims to make Punjab “gangster-free and safer for citizens.”