Operation Vajrapat, launched by the Varanasi Range Police, targets physical and digital criminal ecosystems across Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Chandauli; as of 18 June 2026, 554 social‑media profiles were taken down.
Scope and Targets
- Geography: Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli (Uttar Pradesh).
- Network focus: gangs, social and economic linkages, online profiles used to glorify crime and intimidate.
Key Outputs (as of 18 June 2026)
- Social‑media removals: 554 profiles taken down — Ghazipur 250; Jaunpur 192; Chandauli 112.
- Network mapping: Phase‑I identified 165 criminal groups involving 1,080 individuals.
- Trigger incident: Murder of Vineet Rai (29 May 2026) alleged to be orchestrated via social networks by Katra Gang.
Legal and Operational Measures
- Graded action: counselling for minors; FIRs and preventive measures for other suspects.
- Statutory measures: proceedings invoked under Goonda Control Act and Gangsters Act for habitual/serious offenders.
- Asset targeting: identification and initiation of action against illegally acquired properties linked to networks.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Intermediary rules: Police coordinate removals with platforms under the IT Act, 2000 intermediary provisions.
- Gangsters/Goonda laws: State special statutes permit preventive detention, enhanced penalties and property attachment in organised crime cases.
- Investigative tools: intelligence‑led surveys, digital forensics and social‑network analysis are used to map and disrupt criminal ecosystems.