Bangala gang escapes from custody
The year began on a humiliating note for the cops. Eight members of the dreaded Bangala gang gave the police a slip right outside the Ludhiana Central Jail in February. The gang was responsible for nearly 50 burglaries and dacoities.

Principal’s murder solved
The city police received a well earned pat on the back when they solving the murders of Rita Bawa, principal of Kanya Maha Vidyalya in Jalandhar, and three employees who were murdered on the college premises on January 6. After the Jalandhar police failed to solve the case, the Ludhiana police arrested three persons from Bihar on July 18 to crack the mystery.

58 kg of explosives seized
The Ludhiana (Rural) police seized over 58 kg of explosives and arrested five persons on two separate occasions. On June 17, two men — Gurbhej Singh and Manjit Singh – were held with 24.5 kg of explosives and 25 detonators. On June 26, the police seized 34.5 kg of explosives and arrested three persons, namely Amrik Singh, Daljit Singh and Sarabjit Singh alias Sokhu. During interrogation, the arrested men revealed a plan to carry out blasts in several cities and assassinate a few prominent persons.

Police station for NRIs
An exclusive police station for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) was opened in the city to ensure timely redressal of cases. Also, a police station to track cases of electricity theft was set up.

Quick Reaction Team formed
In the last month of the year, after India was rattled by the events that unfolded in Mumbai, the city formed its own Quick Reaction Team to tackle all eventualities. Another incident, however, highlighted the defenceless state of the city. On December 17, an unattended briefcase was found under the Dholewal Overbridge. The police had to wait for over three hours for the lone bomb disposal squad in the state to reach the city and conduct a check.