Surat, March 18 : Eleven notorious individuals have been arrested under the Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA), Surat Police said on Tuesday.

Several of the accused were nabbed during an extensive combing operation in the Udhna, Bhestan, and Padesara areas.

Among those booked is Gabru Bharwad, a repeat offender with a history of serious crimes, including murder and extortion. He was previously linked to an attack on a mobile shop owner in Sachin.

While two of his accomplices were arrested, Gabru escaped. His run ended when Surat Police, with the assistance of their Rajasthan counterparts, tracked him down and arrested him.

Another key accused, Ramesh Jangid, has also been booked under PASA as authorities continue their crackdown on criminal networks in the city.

Following his arrest, Gabru and his associates were subjected to a reconstruction of their crimes, during which they were seen apologising to the public.

The Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985 (PASA), is a legislative measure enacted to curb activities detrimental to public order in the state.

It authorises preventive detention of individuals identified as bootleggers, dangerous persons, drug offenders, immoral traffic offenders, and property grabbers.

The Act aims to preemptively address threats to societal peace by detaining such individuals for up to one year.

Over the years, PASA has been a pivotal tool for law enforcement in Gujarat.

For instance, between 2019 and 2023, over 2,800 individuals were detained under PASA for various offences, including sexual harassment, cybercrime, gambling, and illicit moneylending. The annual breakdown is as follows: 417 detentions in 2019, 526 in 2020, 640 in 2021, 560 in 2022, and 709 in 2023.

Notably, within this period, 74 individuals were detained for sexual harassment, and 15 for cybercrime offences.

In Ahmedabad, from November 2018 to October 2020, 2,897 PASA cases were registered.

Of these, approximately 1,065 involved individuals with only a single prior complaint. Specifically, 574 individuals with one prior complaint were detained under PASA in 2018-19, and 491 in 2019-20.

However, the application of PASA has faced judicial scrutiny. Between 2019 and 2021, the Gujarat High Court cancelled 3,447 out of 5,402 PASA detention orders, indicating concerns about potential misuse or overreach in its enforcement.

/IANS