Short-staffed Naxal cell gets 16 alerts in a year

Union Home Ministry and state headquarters ask the squad to keep an eye on the 'increased' Naxal activities in the city

Short-staffed Naxal cell gets 16 alerts in a year

Union Home Ministry and state headquarters ask the squad to keep an eye on the 'increased' Naxal activities in the city

The Anti-Naxal Cell of the Pune Police has received 16 intelligence inputs from the Union home ministry and state headquarters in the past one year, cautioning them of possible Maoist activities in the city.

Regrouping: Intelligence inputs suggest that Naxal activities in the
city are on the rise. Representation pic

But ironically, the cell was kept in the dark about the raid carried out by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on the outskirts of the city on April 26. Sushma Ramteke (27) alias Shraddha Gurav was arrested from an apartment in Pirangut on the Lavasa Road.

Special Inspector General of Police Rashmi Shukla had issued the latest alert to the cell saying that they should keep a tab on 'increased activities' of Naxal sympathisers and underground cadres. But the inadequately-staffed cell seems ill-prepared for combing possible rebel hideouts and tracking their sympathisers in the city. The squad has only 11 constables and a police inspector at its disposal.

Police Inspector Raghunath Jadhav, who is in-charge of the Anti-Naxal Cell, said, "Many Naxal sympathisers and activists may be active in cities like Pune. Keeping this in mind, the home ministry and state headquarters regularly send us inputs. In the last one year - after the cell was formed - we have got 16 intelligence alerts about possible Naxal movements in urban areas and we were asked to keep a tab on them."

u00a0He added, "Trade unions, non-governmental organisations, student unions and hospitals are under scanner. There is a possibility of fund raising and personnel recruitments from these platforms. Besides this, injured Naxalites from rural and jungle areas of Vidharba region can also be brought to the city for treatment in multi-specialty hospitals," Jadhav said.

Anjali Sontakke (42), the Naxal ideologue and wife of Maharashra CPI (Maoist) committee's secretary Milind Teltumbde, was absconding since 1996. She was on the most-wanted list of the Anti-Naxal Operations wing of the state police, but arrested by the ATS in Thane.

A confidential report prepared by the ANO has been dispatched to all major urban cities, which are hub of Naxal activities. This confidential report (copy with MiD-DAY) says that Anjali used to carry a 9mm pistol with her.
Asked about Anjali and Sushma's activities in Pune, Inspector Jadhav said his cell was not kept in the loop during the raids. The state ATS and Gadchiroli police were in co-ordination for the search operation.u00a0

"After reading reports about Anjali and her assistant Sushma's arrest in newspapers, we got in touch with the ATS team the rebels. We are now collecting more information about the suspects identity and will take further necessary precautionary measures," Jadhav said.