Ghaziabad, June 2 (IANS) The district administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad has launched an extensive crackdown against illegal madrasas in the Khoda area under ‘Operation Clean Sweep’, as authorities step up efforts to curb criminal activities and strengthen law enforcement in the region.
As part of the drive, District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar visited Khoda and reviewed the ongoing operation on the ground. During his visit, he briefed officials about the strategy being implemented and assessed the progress of various verification and enforcement measures being carried out by the administration and police.
The inspection comes amid heightened vigilance in the area following a recent high-profile murder case that triggered concerns over law and order and prompted authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of local enforcement mechanisms.
Speaking to IANS, District Magistrate Mandar said, “The Chief Minister has issued instructions in recent days to take action against criminals across the entire state. In continuation of that, an operation called ‘Clean Sweep’ is being carried out in Khoda.”
He stated that the administration conducted a detailed verification exercise covering properties, landlords, tenants and occupants as part of the campaign. According to him, the objective was to identify any illegal activities and ensure compliance with legal and administrative requirements.
“Following the verification, three madrasas were marked which were not registered with the Madrasa Board. Therefore, all three are being sealed today,” the District Magistrate said.
Emphasising that the campaign would continue beyond the initial phase, he added, “This drive will continue until complete verification is carried out to ensure that no illegal activity takes place in any property and that no miscreant is able to commit any crime.”
During the operation, the administration, along with the police, sealed Madrasa Rahmania Arabia Qasim-ul-Uloom after officials found that it was functioning without registration from the Madrasa Board.
Officials said that ‘Operation Clean Sweep’ has been designed around three major objectives aimed at strengthening surveillance and enforcement in Khoda.
The first component involves door-to-door verification of individuals with criminal backgrounds and other suspects. The second phase focuses on summoning identified offenders to police stations and issuing strict warnings to deter future criminal activities.
The third aspect of the operation is aimed at identifying individuals allegedly involved in activities that result in losses to government revenue, with appropriate legal action proposed against such persons after verification.
As part of the campaign, authorities also conducted a large-scale flag march across Khoda to reinforce police visibility and send a clear message regarding the administration’s zero-tolerance approach towards crime and unlawful activities.
The intensified crackdown follows the murder of 17-year-old Surya Pratap Chauhan, a Class 11 student and resident of Navneet Vihar Colony in Khoda. According to police, Surya was stabbed during an altercation on May 28 and later succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Noida.
Police identified the main accused as Asad, who was later killed in an encounter conducted jointly by personnel from Khoda and Indirapuram police stations late on Saturday night.
According to the police, Asad, who carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, sustained injuries during retaliatory firing after allegedly opening fire on the police team. He later died during the operation.
Following the Surya Pratap Chauhan murder case, the Ghaziabad Police have been placed on heightened alert and have launched an extensive search and verification campaign across Khoda.
The operation is being conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner J. Ravindra Gaur. Substantial deployment of police personnel and administrative teams has been made to ensure strict enforcement of law and order throughout the area.
–IANS
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