Dr. Partha Sarathi Mahanta, head of the Assam Police Special Task Force and Police Commissioner of Guwahati, has been conferred the prestigious ‘Union Home Minister’s Efficiency Medal 2026’ by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The police officer has been decorated with the country’s top security medal for his consistent success in anti-insurgency operations and operations against drugs.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 490 police officers and personnel were declared for the award across the country on October 31, and 19 police officers from Assam have received this honour. Under the leadership of Inspector General of Police-rank officer Partha Sarathi Mahanta, the Special Task Force has apprehended 21 people associated with ISIS, jihadi organizations, Maoists and ULFA-Independent since March 2023.
In particular, one of the biggest successes of this branch was the apprehension of Haris Ajmal Farooqi, suspected to be the Indian head of ISIS, and his associate Anurag Singh from Dhubri in March 2024. In addition, the team led by him also played a crucial role in destroying the Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangla Team network and busting ‘Operation Ghost SIM’ linked to Pakistan.
The Special Task Force under Partha Sarathi Mahanta’s leadership has also achieved massive success in anti-drugs operations. Through 254 separate operations, more than 59 kg of heroin, 9.67 lakh psychotropic tablets, 37 thousand bottles of Phensedyl and four tons of ganja were seized, along with apprehending 482 traffickers.
Alongside his police service, Partha Sarathi Mahanta is also well-known as a filmmaker and writer. His documentary ‘Hargila’ received a special mention at the 70th National Film Awards.
