Is Your Teen's Social Media Habit Leading Them to a Shocking 40% Increase in Crime? Find Out Now!

The recent arrest of two young residents of Chamkaur Sahib, Davinder Singh and Anuj Kumar, marks a distressing trend of increasing crime among the youth in Punjab. Both in their early 20s, these school dropouts were apprehended after an encounter in Patiala, where they allegedly fired shots at the house of Darshan Singh in Gaddo-Majra, Rajpura, on December 13. The attack left Singh, an elderly victim, with a bullet injury. According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, Varun Sharma, "We arrested them last week. Both suffered injuries after cops fired at them in self-defense."

Sharma further revealed that the pair had been recruited through social media, manipulated by gangster Goldy Dhillon. They were unwitting participants in an extortion racket orchestrated by gangsters based abroad. "The accused did not even know that they were part of an extortion racket where the gangsters sitting abroad paid them merely a few thousand rupees for the crime for which they will now be behind bars for a long time," he added.

This alarming recruitment process underscores a broader menace in Punjab, where platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) are increasingly used to glorify gun culture and gangster lifestyles. Police officials express concern that these accounts are effectively luring vulnerable youth into a life of crime. Once recruited, these young individuals often lack a full understanding of the dangerous consequences their actions may entail.

"The gang members continue to scroll accounts, and whenever they find a suitable profile of a youngster who wants to avenge an insult, or is actively liking or sharing gangster-related profiles, he is approached with money and weapons," SSP Sharma stated. Such encounters have been observed in multiple districts across Punjab, indicating a troubling trend of teenagers, and even minors, being drawn into the criminal underworld via online interactions.

Notably, a recent police encounter led to the death of notorious shooter Karan Pathak, alias Karan Defaulter, who was linked to the high-profile murder of kabaddi promoter and player Rana Balachauria. Pathak, only 23, had connections that extended beyond Punjab, including ties to Uttar Pradesh. Initial investigations revealed his online connections, though further analysis is necessary to understand the full scope of this network.

"It is a serious trend that school dropouts are often lured through social media sites and even paid and supplied weapons through online information and sleeper cells," stated DIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, who is known for his efforts in combating organized crime. He emphasized that in many instances, these young individuals are unaware of the repercussions associated with carrying out such violent acts.

According to DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar, security agencies have blocked over 10,000 social media handles and accounts linked to criminal activities over the past five years. "The youngsters are often not afraid to fire indiscriminately at police parties when confronted, and that, too, for a few thousand rupees," he noted, highlighting the escalating levels of violence among the youth.

Experts argue that a more systematic approach is required to combat this issue. "A clinical fact-based study by psychologists and sociology scholars can be helpful, while parents need to be more careful about their children," suggested Sangrur SSP Sartaj Chahal. The situation reflects a growing concern about the intersection of social media and youth crime, prompting calls for more robust preventive measures and community engagement to address the underlying factors driving these young people toward violent behavior.

As the situation in Punjab continues to evolve, the challenges of youth crime and online exploitation remain pressing issues that demand immediate attention from law enforcement, families, and communities alike. The recent arrests serve as a stark reminder of how easily vulnerable individuals can be manipulated into a cycle of violence, often without fully understanding the grave implications of their actions.