Haryana government constitutes Anti-Terrorism Squad; ATS police stations to function from Panchkula, Gurugram
Chandigarh, June 11
The Haryana government has constituted an Anti-Terrorism Squad as a specialised agency under the Criminal Investigation Department to combat terrorism and investigate terrorism-related offences in the state, according to a notification issued by the Home Department.
In exercise of powers conferred under clause (u) of Section 2 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023), the Governor of Haryana has declared the creation of Anti-Terrorism Squad police stations at Panchkula and Gurugram for the investigation of offences related to terrorism across the state.
According to the notification, the ATS will function as a specialised agency under the CID and will be responsible for combating terrorism as well as investigating and handling terrorism-related cases.
The ATS will be headed by an officer not below the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP). The officer will report to the Director General of Police (DGP) through the CID chief.
The Haryana government has decided to establish the headquarters of the ATS in Panchkula.
The notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Sudhir Rajpal stated that the formation of the new agency would strengthen the state's capabilities in counter-terrorism activities and enable more effective handling of security-related challenges.
To facilitate investigation into terrorism-related offences, the government has also established two ATS police stations in Panchkula and Gurugram and specified their jurisdictions.
The ATS police station at Panchkula will have jurisdiction over the districts of Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Hisar, Hansi, Fatehabad, Jind, Sirsa, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri.
The ATS police station at Gurugram will have jurisdiction over Sonipat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, Rewari and Mahendergarh districts.
According to the notification, the two ATS police stations will investigate offences related to terrorism within their respective jurisdictions in Haryana.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in Gurugram, it's reassuring to see concrete steps towards enhancing counter-terrorism capabilities. The creation of ATS police stations with clear jurisdictions shows thoughtful planning. Hopefully, they'll recruit specialists in cyber forensics and intelligence gathering too.
Finally some long-overdue action! Living in Panipat, I've always felt the NCR belt needs a dedicated anti-terror unit. But let's see how effectively they function on the ground. Mere notifications won't help - we need trained personnel and modern equipment. 🤞
This is a necessary step, but I hope the ATS doesn't just become another bureaucratic layer. The real challenge will be in building trust with local communities for intelligence gathering, especially in border districts like Sirsa and Fatehabad. Let's see how transparently they operate.
Good initiative! But the jurisdiction seems too broad - Panchkula ATS covering 15 districts? 😲 That's a huge area. They should have set up more police stations, maybe in Rohtak and Hisar too. Still, better late than never for strengthening internal security in Haryana.
As a resident of Gurugram, I'm cautiously optimistic. The real test will be how quickly they respond to threats. We've seen how terrorism has evolved - from lone wolves to sleeper cells. Hope the ATS has capabilities to handle modern threats like drones and cyber attacks too. 🛡️
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