Nearly 380 Held As Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Widens Crackdown On Police-Station Middlemen Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says nearly 380 alleged middlemen operating around police stations have been arrested in a fresh statewide crackdown, which will now be extended to other government departments. Assam Police have arrested close to 380 people accused of posing as fixers, mostly outside police stations, as part of a fresh statewide operation that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma detailed at a press briefing in Guwahati on Monday. The drive is part of a wider push against people who collect money from ordinary citizens on the promise of getting official work done. What the operation found Sarma said the government had quietly gathered information on suspected middlemen and fraudsters over the past several months, drawing on reports that surfaced on social media and in mainstream media coverage. To keep the exercise discreet, officers-in-charge of individual police stations were deliberately left out of the information-gathering process. “After verification, we identified around 410 'dalals or middlemen'. Of them, around 380 have been arrested,” the Chief Minister said. Those picked up in the drive are accused of a range of fraudulent activities, including impersonating police personnel and posing as fixers to exploit people who approach police stations for official help. A second round after 2022 This is not the first time Assam has moved against such middlemen. Sarma recalled that a similar crackdown targeting fixers near police stations was carried out in 2022, resulting in about 200 arrests. He said the racket appeared to fade over the following two years, only to resurface roughly a year before the last Assembly elections, prompting the government to compile fresh intelligence and launch this second, larger sweep. The pattern, as Sarma described it, shows how such rackets can quietly regroup once public attention fades, which is part of why the government chose to gather fresh evidence discreetly rather than announce its plans in advance. The intensified operation began early on Saturday, after Sarma, who also holds the state's home portfolio, issued specific directions during a two-day conference of senior police officers that concluded recently. Wider net planned, public tip-offs invited Sarma said the crackdown will not stop at police stations. Similar exercises are already underway to identify middlemen operating within other government departments, with further drives expected in the coming days as the state tries to root out people who collect money from citizens on the promise of getting official work done. He also announced that the Special Branch of Assam Police will build a portal where members of the public can submit information and names of suspected middlemen. Any action based on such tip-offs, he clarified, will follow verification. “Of course, action will be taken only after verification,” Sarma said. What this means for you The crackdown should bring direct relief to ordinary people in Assam who have long had to pay middlemen just to get routine police-station or government work done. • Across India: The drive shows how a state government can take direct action against corruption in everyday government dealings. Other state police forces could adopt a similar model to shield citizens from fixers demanding money for official work. • In Assam: Middlemen operating near police stations across the state, including in Guwahati, now face closer scrutiny. Anyone visiting a police station or government office in Assam will soon be able to report a middleman demanding money through the new portal. • A new complaint channel: The Special Branch of Assam Police will soon launch a portal where citizens can directly submit names and details of suspected middlemen, making it easier to flag such cases. • More departments to follow: The crackdown is currently focused on police stations, but similar drives are already being planned for other government departments, meaning more offices across Assam could soon come under the same scrutiny. Why this happened The crackdown did not come out of nowhere, it follows months of quiet monitoring and directions issued at a recent conference of senior police officers. • Middlemen resurfaced after 2022: According to the Chief Minister, middlemen activity had declined for two years after the 2022 crackdown but began resurfacing about a year before the last Assembly elections, prompting the government to act again. • Quiet information-gathering: Over several months, the government compiled a list of suspected middlemen using reports from social media and mainstream media, deliberately keeping officers-in-charge of police stations out of the process to preserve confidentiality. • Momentum from a police conference: During a recently concluded two-day conference of senior police officers, Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, issued specific directions, after which the intensified drive began early on Saturday. • What happens next: The government is now applying the same approach to identify middlemen in other government departments, with further drives planned in the coming days. Questions & Answers 1. How many people have been arrested? Around 380 people have been arrested so far, out of nearly 410 suspected middlemen identified after verification. 2. When did the crackdown begin? The intensified operation began early on Saturday, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma detailed it at a press briefing in Guwahati on Monday. 3. Has a similar crackdown happened before? Yes, a similar crackdown against middlemen near police stations was carried out in 2022, leading to around 200 arrests. 4. How were the middlemen identified? The government spent months compiling information from social media and mainstream media reports, keeping officers-in-charge of police stations out of the process. 5. Is the crackdown limited to police stations? No, similar exercises are already underway to identify middlemen in other government departments. 6. How can the public report suspected middlemen? The Special Branch of Assam Police will develop a portal where citizens can submit names and information about suspected middlemen. https://trendkia.com/en/assam/kariba-380-giraphtara-mukhyamntri-himanta-biswa-sarma-ne-bataya-pulisa-thanon-ke-asapasa-dalalon-para-bara-shiknja-29436 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.