The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has questioned more than 200 individuals with prior records of violent offences or communal enmity as part of a sweeping pre-emptive security drive ahead of the city's annual Rath Yatra, officials said on Monday, 6 July. The exercise, aimed at ensuring the procession passes off peacefully, also led to the dismantling of an inter-state arms gang and the arrest of five persons.

Preventive Questioning and Arms Bust

Crime Branch officials confirmed that the intensive questioning targeted individuals previously implicated in offences involving physical violence or those carrying a history of communal enmity. Separately, the operation yielded a significant arms haul — nine illegal firearms were recovered from the five arrested members of the inter-state criminal gang.

'To ensure that the entire Rath Yatra is conducted smoothly without any untoward incident and in an atmosphere of communal harmony and peace, the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has carried out intensive questioning of more than 200 individuals who were previously involved in offences involving physical violence or had a history of communal enmity,' the Crime Branch said in a statement.

Surveillance and Search Operations

The security exercise extended well beyond questioning. Police conducted combing and search operations across sensitive localities in the city, while drone surveillance was deployed over rooftops along the Rath Yatra route to detect suspicious activity and monitor vulnerable locations. Technology-assisted surveillance has been integrated into the broader security apparatus for the procession.

Gujarat ATS Action Against Terror Network

The Ahmedabad drive is part of a wider security build-up across Gujarat ahead of the Rath Yatra on 16 July. In recent days, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested eight operatives allegedly linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, saying the action had disrupted an alleged attempt to establish a terror network in the state in the lead-up to the festival period. Authorities have since expanded surveillance and preventive policing measures statewide.

Scale of Security Arrangements

The Rath Yatra is one of Ahmedabad's largest annual religious processions, drawing massive crowds and requiring multi-layered security coordination. Enforcement drives targeting wanted offenders and criminal elements have been ongoing, with authorities seeking to minimise potential threats before and during the event. The full security plan will remain active through the procession date.