Kota: Gadkari announces Rs 16,000 crore highway plan as Delhi police arrest gang members
Kota saw a significant infrastructure push in July 2026 when Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari arrived in the city to announce highway projects worth nearly Rs 16,000 crore, including a planned expressway connecting Kota to Uttar Pradesh. The city also made national security news when Delhi Police Counter-Intelligence Special Cell arrested four wanted members of the Himanshu Bhau gang from Kota in late August.
🏢 Rs 16,000 crore highway boost for Kota
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari visited Kota, Rajasthan, on July 8, 2026, announcing highway projects worth nearly Rs 16,000 crore for the region. The centerpiece of the announcement was a planned new expressway—referred to as the Atal Expressway—that would connect Kota directly to Uttar Pradesh, a route intended to ease travel and freight movement between Rajasthan and the neighboring state. Gadkari had arrived in Kota after personally conducting a road inspection of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, traveling the entire route by road from Delhi before proceeding to Kota. The announcement signals renewed federal attention to road infrastructure in a city that sits at a strategic junction in Rajasthan highway network. The proposed Atal Expressway has been characterized as a long-anticipated link capable of opening new economic corridors and substantially cutting travel times for both passengers and freight moving between central Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Officials accompanying the minister described the projects as part of a broader national drive to upgrade road connectivity across interior Rajasthan. The visit drew considerable local attention and was widely reported by regional news outlets across the state. [9]
Delhi police arrest four Himanshu Bhau gang members in Kota
The Counter-Intelligence team of the Delhi Police Special Cell conducted an operation in Kota, Rajasthan, on August 30, 2026, resulting in the arrest of four members of the notorious Himanshu Bhau gang. The individuals detained were described as wanted hitmen and close associates of the gang, which has been under sustained pressure from law enforcement agencies operating across multiple states. Delhi Police Special Cell Counter-Intelligence units specialize in tracking and dismantling criminal networks, and the Kota operation reflects continuing efforts to weaken the Himanshu Bhau network operational reach beyond Delhi. After the arrests in Kota, the accused were transported back to Delhi for further questioning and legal proceedings. The Himanshu Bhau gang has been linked to contract killings and other serious criminal activity, making the arrest of four operatives a notable step in the effort to contain organized crime with cross-state networks. The operation also highlights how Kota serves as a logistical node for criminal networks spanning state borders in north and central India. Law enforcement agencies indicated the Kota operation would further disrupt the gang infrastructure. [1]
Sources: [9] ETV Bharat · [1] ANI News