razias

Razias are the plural form of razia, a term used in the Indian subcontinent to denote a raid or round-up conducted by police or security authorities. The word is used in Urdu and Hindi media and public discourse to describe operations that involve searches, seizures, or arrests carried out under legal authority, often as part of crime control, counterterrorism, or immigration enforcement efforts. Etymology traces to the Urdu/Hindi word razia, itself rooted in Persian and Arabic linguistic influence.

In practice, razias are executed by police or security agencies under applicable laws, with procedures defined by the jurisdiction's criminal procedure code or other statutes. The scope can range from targeted searches of specific individuals or locations to broader sweeps in particular neighborhoods or during special operations. The reporting of razias in the media has at times intersected with debates about civil liberties, due process, and the treatment of minority communities, with concerns about profiling or excessive use of force, as well as arguments highlighting public safety benefits.

As a linguistic item, Razias sometimes appears in English-language reporting as a loanword for such raids in the Indian subcontinent. The term is distinct from the historical name Razia, which is used as a given name in South Asia, most notably associated with Razia Sultan, a historical ruler.