Bodo militants arrested in Navi Mumbai

 

Mateen Hafeez





Navi Mumbai: The state antiterrorism squad arrested three National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants from Navi Mumbai on Friday evening. The militants are suspected to have played a key role in the Assam massacre on December 23 last year, in which over 74 people were killed. They were working in a cold storage in Taloja, said police sources.The trio, suspected to be commanders of the outfit, was wanted in a case of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and waging war against the nation in Sonitpur district, Assam.

 Himanshu Roy , additional director-general of police and ATS chief, confirmed the arrests.“We got information that they were hiding in Navi Mumbai, and in a joint operation, arrested the suspects. The ATS is in touch with Assam police,“ said Roy . Those arrested include Bisho alias Ansai Songa Basumatary (22), Swamkhwr Basumatary (20) and Purno Narzary (19). They will be produced before a court on Saturday .“As per information, they were staying separately at Pawanegaon and Tondregaon but working together at Taloja in a cold storage. We kept an eye, monitored their activities and gathered information before arresting them,“ said an officer. The trio is also wanted in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.





The Times of India, April 4, 2014

Teens in Naxal-hit areas given guided tour of state

SCHOLARSHIPS ON THE CARDS

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The state government is trying to win hearts and minds of children in Gadchiroli and Gondia districts, which have been hit by left-wing insurgency.
 

    The government along with the police has started a new practice in which 80 students aged between 13 and 15 are taken on a 10-day tour across the state every month in order to “introduce them to the outside world”. “We want to motivate them to pursue their studies seriously and chart out a successful career for themselves,” said a state government official. 

    P K Jain, additional director general of police (special operations) said the issue of Naxal violence was discussed with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan 10 months ago. “We decided to motivate students from Naxal-affected areas to pursue higher education and seek into government jobs. We don’t want youngsters to be enamoured with Naxal ideology or sympathize with insurgents. For this exercise, we had to bring the students from those areas and show them the outside world.”
 

    Deven Bharti, special inspector general of police (law and order) said after discussing several strategies the state government and the police zeroed in on the idea. “As part of this exercise, we brought 80 girls and boys (Class VIII to X) and gave them a guided tour of Mumbai two days ago. They enjoyed the ferry ride at Gateway of India. We took them to the airport and allowed them to sit inside an aircraft. It was their first such experience and they loved it,” said Bharti.
 

    The second batch of 80 students will come to Mumbai next week after visiting Nagpur and Pune. In Mumbai, they will be taken to Jijamata Udyan, Gateway of India, Girgaum Chowpatty, Taraporewala Aquarium, Chhattrapati Shivaji museum, government offices and shopping malls.   “We are trying to fix a meeting of these students with actor Aamir Khan. Once we get his dates, the children will get to meet the superstar and interact with him,” said an official.
 

    The state is spending Rs 10,000 on each student for the 10-day trip. “Children will also be given scholarships to pursue higher education,” said a police source.
 

Terror Trail Toll in Gadchiroli district between January and May

• A policeman is killed killed in an ambush

• 18 encounters took place between cops and Naxals

• 17 naxalites are killed in operations, 12 arrested and 28 surrendered

•92.6 kg explosives seized

• Public and government property worth Rs 1.27 crore is damaged

The Times of India, June 17, 2013

Spl intel unit to keep eye on Naxals in city

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The city police have formed a special intelligence unit to tackle the Naxal menace in Mumbai.
 

    Till now, the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) and the anti-Naxalite operation wing of the state police were dealing with Naxalites. However, this new unit will report to the police commissioner and provide information to other agencies. The unit will be part of the special branch which is supposed to collect intelligence for the city police. Sources in the security establishment said while the ATS and other agencies looked at Naxal cases, there was no dedicated wing in the Mumbai police to tackle Naxals. A senior police officer said since three Naxals were arrested from Dombivili this year and another was nabbed from the Mumbai Railway Hospital quarters, the city is turning into a hub for Naxals. 

    “Many Naxals come to Mumbai for treatment and try to expand their network here. In the past, several members of the Naxal think tank were caught from the city, so it’s necessary to keep a check on them,” the police officer said. 

 

 

The Times of India, May 11, 2012

Two women among four ‘Naxals’ held in Dombivli

23L Recovered In Joint Operation By State ATS, AP Cops

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Four alleged Naxalites, including two women, were arrested in a joint operation by the state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) and Andhra Pradesh police in Thane district on Friday. The ATS recovered Rs23 lakh, a laptop, three pen drives and firearm-making material from the sleeper cell.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria said the operation followed information about Naxals being holed up in Dombivli (E). “Our staff and the AP police caught the Naxals, including Dinesh Wankhede alias Raju Kadam (29), Aseem Kumar Bhattacharya (65), Suman Gawde (25) and Laxmi Raju Patel (38),” said Maria. He added that while Kadam, Bhattacharya and Gawde are from Gadchiroli, Patel is from Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Bhattacharya’s wife Shobha said she was shocked to hear about the arrest. The alleged Naxals were staying on the ground floor of the New Surya Kiran Apartments, where the monthly rent is Rs15,000-25,000. Residents said the ‘Naxals’ were aloof and posed as husband, wife and mother.

“Kadam is a member of Korchi Dalam and the Korchi area committee. He is wanted in two cases: A 2007 firing case in which a policeman was injured in Gadchiroli and a 2005 Nagpur police case. Kadam was never arrested in both cases, but he faces cases for attempt to murder under the Arms Act,” said Maria.

The ATS said Gawde was also a Korchi Dalam member and would attend its meetings. Patel joined the Korchi Dalam a few years ago and is a known name among Naxalites, the police said.

“The Naxals had been staying in the rented room since October 2011. We received info that the room was used as a hideout for Naxals. Technical committee members would also visit it. The primary job of the members staying here was procurement of equipment for cadres working in forests,” Maria added.

The ATS chief said the Naxals who would get injured or fall sick in Gadchiroli would be taken to Dombivli, where they would be treated.
An officer said, “The Naxals are trying to identify youth who could be helpful with indoctrination. We are collecting info about the groups and trying to cripple their activities.”

THE SUSPECTS
The four are said to be members of the Gadchirolibased Kolchidalam Naxal organization:

Dinesh Wankhede alias Raju Kadam (29) The Gadchiroli resident stayed at Surya Kiran building along with three others in Dombivli, Thane. A member of the Korchi Dalam and Korchi area committee, he faces charges in a 2007 firing case in which a policeman was injured in Gadchiroli and a 2005 Nagpur police case

Aseem Kumar Bhattacharya (65)
Also from Gadchiroli, he has been termed a senior functionary and part of the think-tank

Suman Gawde (25) A member of the Korchi Dalam, this Gadchiroli resident would attend Dalam meetings

Laxmi Raju Patel (38) A resident of Andhra Pradesh, he joined the Korchi Dalam a few years ago and is a known name among Naxalites

National poet’s elder brother among arrested

Pradeep Gupta | TNN
Mumbai: The four arrested Naxalites include 64-year-old Aseem Kumar Bhattacharya, the elder brother of former journalist-turned-national poet, Alok Bhattacharya, who was honored by the President of India for his poetry.
The other three Naxals, Dinesh Wankhede (29), Suman Gawde (25) and Laxmi Raju Patel alias Paru Patel (38), were living under false names in the building, identifying themselves as the Kadam family. Dinesh had introduced himself as Raju Kadam, while the other two had introduced themselves as his wife and mother.

The three lived in a ground floor flat of Surya Kiran Apartment in Gandhi Nagar, Dombivli (E).
When TOI visited the Bhattacharya residence, his wife Shobha Bhattacharya said she was shocked to hear about her husband’s arrest. She was suspecting that her husband was kidnapped and she had in fact filed a complaint with the Manpada police station on Thursday. “It is shocking why the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) arrested my husband as he is above 60 and was never involved in Naxal activities,” Shobha told TOI.

She said, “We have been living in Dombivli for 32 years and he has never been outside.”
“I have three children, including two daughters and a son, and except for one daughter who has got married, the other two are doing professional courses,” Shobha added.

Shobha admitted that her husband had gone to Andhra Pradesh once, 25 years back, to attend a marriage. She said eventhough her husband had crossed 60, he always helped people. She also said she was unaware about the other three suspects who were nabbed by the ATS hardly 100 metres from her residence.

B E Murkute, the flat owner, told TOI he was shocked to learn about their real names. Murkute said a local agent had introduced him through Bhattacharaya, who had said the three were his staff. Murkute had also approached the local police to file a kidnapping case. Sources claimed that ATS operation was secret and even the local police were not informed. Residents of New Surya Kiran Apartments were also shocked to hear that the three were ‘Naxals’. “They would always remain aloof,” a neighbour said. “They came five months ago and were like husband, wife and mother,” said an elderly resident of the building.

The alleged Naxals stayed on the ground floor of the New Surya Kiran Apartments in Dombivli

The Times of India, March 3, 2012

ATS arrests 10 more Naxals at Pune station

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) arrested 10 suspected Naxals, including five teenagers, from the Pune railway station complex in a late-night operation on Thursday.

Four 7.65 mm pistols and 300 pages of Naxal literature were recovered from them. ATS chief Rakesh Maria said, “Our Pune unit has been collecting information about Naxals for some time now. We nabbed them while they were trying to flee Pune. Most of them told us they had come to Pune three months ago.”

The arrested are Satyajit Rana (18), Pinto Mahato (19), Rudra Mahato (19), Robi Hansda (19), Robi Mahato (19), Kadu Henbra (21), Nirapan Mahato alias Sanna (23), Ajit Mahato (35), Sushanto Mahato (36) and Anando Mahato (37). All of them hail from West Midnapore district in West Bengal. The accused had been working as casual labourers in Shiru, an MIDC area near Pune.

Most of the suspects are members of the People’s Guerilla Liberation Army (PGLA). They were produced before a Pune court and remanded in police custody till May 23.

“Robi Hansda and Robi Mahato were involved in the murder of a police informer in West Bengal and had come to Pune to avoid detection by cops. The informer was murdered in November 2010,” Maria said. “We have informed the West Bengal police and they are expected to reach Mumbai on Saturday.”

According to the investigators, Sushanto had come to Pune last year and was working with the dispatch department of a construction company. “Sushanto used his position in the company to provide jobs to other Naxals who had taken refuge in Pune,” said a police officer. “Though they have not confessed to any crime in Maharashtra, our men are interrogating
them,” said Maria.

The operation comprising 50 police personnel was led by ATS deputy inspector-general Sanjay Latkar and inspector Peter Lobo. “Earlier, the Naxal movement in the state was largely restricted to Gadchiroli. Now, they are spreading their network in various parts of Maharashtra. It’s a serious concern for security agencies,” said Maria.

Two weeks ago, the police arrested six Naxals, including five women.

The Times of India, May 14, 2011

Suspected Maoist held from Govandi

REVOLVER SEIZED

Mateen Hafeez TNN TNN

Mumbai: The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday arrested a 35-year-old suspected Maoist from Govandi on Tuesday.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria said that they had received a tip-off that someone known as Akher was hiding in a Govandi slum and he possessed revolvers. ‘‘Our men laid a trap outside the Qureshi mosque and nabbed him. During interrogation, he revealed that his name was Gaffar Mandal and was wanted for three cases in West Bengal,’’ Maria said. The police recovered a country-made revolver and live cartridges from him. Akher was also involved in a bomb blast in Bengal in December last year,in whichone person waskilled.


The Times of India, March 16, 2011

Naxal nexus claims false: Dhawale’s wife

Sudhir Dhawale (inset) and the Byculla building where he lives

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The family of alleged Naxal leader Sudhir Dhawale, arrested in Wardha on January 2, claimed he was wrongly implicated in a false case as he was working for the welfare of Dalits in interior parts of Maharashtra. “The government was scared by his movement and they took this step to stop him,” alleged Darshana, Dhawale’s wife.

Dhawale (41) was arrested at Wardha station just as he was to board a train for Mumbai where he lives with his wife, who is a nurse, and their two children at the Central Railway Hospital’s quarters. Police alleged Dhawale was working for front organisations active in urban centres and provided logistical support to underground cadres.

Speaking at her Byculla quarters on Wednesday, a tearful Darshana said: “Dhawale would hardly get Rs 300 or Rs 500 a month by writing in Hindi newspapers. On January 1 he left for Wardha to attend Dr Ambedkar Yuva Sahitya Sammelan, to give a speech on Dalit issues. They are saying he had nexus with Naxals, which is baseless .”

Darshana said on January 3, a joint team of Gondia and Byculla police reached the house, taking away “89 books on Karl Marx, Lenin, copies of the People’s March magazine, books and articles written by Dhawale, a CPU and other things. They showed no ID or search warrant.”

Police had earlier knocked on the Dhawales’ door in 2007 after he demonstrated against the government.

Police allege Dhawale was a state committee member of CPI(Maoist) and was working for Vidrohi Manch, which publishes pro-Naxal literature. He was cultivating pro-Naxal ideologies among Dalits behind the facade of working for a publication
house, security sources claimed.

“After the Ramabai Colony firing in Ghatkopar, Dhawale agitated with many others, forming the Republican Panther Jati Antachi Chadval. When a Dalit woman was paraded naked at Reay Road last year, he agitated against it,” said Darshana. In 2005, he started a magazine, Vidrohi. “He would be invited to deliver speeches by Dalit organisations. Police arrested him to curb his influence,” she added. Dhawale has been sent to police custody till January 12.

The Times of India, January 5, 2011

Naxal nexus claims false: Dhawale’s wife

Sudhir Dhawale (inset) and the Byculla building where he lives

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The family of alleged Naxal leader Sudhir Dhawale, arrested in Wardha on January 2, claimed he was wrongly implicated in a false case as he was working for the welfare of Dalits in interior parts of Maharashtra. “The government was scared by his movement and they took this step to stop him,” alleged Darshana, Dhawale’s wife.

Dhawale (41) was arrested at Wardha station just as he was to board a train for Mumbai where he lives with his wife, who is a nurse, and their two children at the Central Railway Hospital’s quarters. Police alleged Dhawale was working for front organisations active in urban centres and provided logistical support to underground cadres.

Speaking at her Byculla quarters on Wednesday, a tearful Darshana said: “Dhawale would hardly get Rs 300 or Rs 500 a month by writing in Hindi newspapers. On January 1 he left for Wardha to attend Dr Ambedkar Yuva Sahitya Sammelan, to give a speech on Dalit issues. They are saying he had nexus with Naxals, which is baseless .”

Darshana said on January 3, a joint team of Gondia and Byculla police reached the house, taking away “89 books on Karl Marx, Lenin, copies of the People’s March magazine, books and articles written by Dhawale, a CPU and other things. They showed no ID or search warrant.”

Police had earlier knocked on the Dhawales’ door in 2007 after he demonstrated against the government.

Police allege Dhawale was a state committee member of CPI(Maoist) and was working for Vidrohi Manch, which publishes pro-Naxal literature. He was cultivating pro-Naxal ideologies among Dalits behind the facade of working for a publication
house, security sources claimed.

“After the Ramabai Colony firing in Ghatkopar, Dhawale agitated with many others, forming the Republican Panther Jati Antachi Chadval. When a Dalit woman was paraded naked at Reay Road last year, he agitated against it,” said Darshana. In 2005, he started a magazine, Vidrohi. “He would be invited to deliver speeches by Dalit organisations. Police arrested him to curb his influence,” she added. Dhawale has been sent to police custody till January 12.

The Times of India, January 5, 2011

ATS arrests Naxal suspect in city

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The anti-terrorism squad on Monday night arrested a suspected Naxalite from the city. ATS officials claimed that the accused, Surya Devra Prabhakar, was a “hard-core preacher” and his name had cropped up during the interrogation of other Naxals in 2007.

According to officials, a police team led by inspector Ravindra Doiphode picked up Prabhakar from his MMRDA transit camp residence in Kanjurmarg. “A bag containing objectionable literature of CPI (Maoist) and PWG, a CPU, a pen drive, a cellphone and other incriminating material have been seized from his house. Prabhakar has been remanded to police custody till January 28,” an official said. “We are still probing the case and trying to find out if he had a role to play in other cases. We cannot say anything at this juncture,” said DCP Pradip Sawant.

Investigators said Prabhakar managed to dodge the police for years due to his aliases. “We arrested him after being tipped off about his activities and whereabouts,” an officer said.

“Prabhakar, a commerce graduate from Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh, has been trying to bring Naxal sleeper cells under one umbrella. He has been actively taking part in Naxal meetings in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and now he was trying to make Mumbai his base,” the officer said.

“He has admitted to his connections with the Naxals and has been working for them since 1978 and spreading Maowadi thoughts.”

The Times of India, January 20, 2010

State cop toll more than J&K - Out Of 250 Killed In India This Year, 52 Died In Maha Alone

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
Mumbai: With Thursday’s four-hour encounter between the police and Naxalites, the number of cops killed in the state this year has gone up to 52. This figure is much higher than Jammu and Kashmir where around two dozen policemen have died in anti-terror operations this year. It is also around 21% of the total policemen killed across the country this year.

According to statistics, the maximum number of policemen have been killed in Maharashtra this year in any anti-terror operation. So far, 250 police personnel have died in various police operations in the country.

“We killed several Naxal ites in Thursday’s operation but their bodies were taken away by their associates. Two days ago, we killed a woman Naxalite and her body is with us. It is a war-like situation,’’ said Sunil Ramanand, deputy inspector-general (anti-Naxalite operations).

Seventeen policemen, including 10 commandos of the C-60 (Crack 60) force drawn from the Maharashtra Police for anti-Naxal operations, and sub-inspector Chandrashekhar Deshmukh, who was serving his first posting after completing his training, died.

Senior police officials are unhappy with the government’s handling of the Naxal issue. “There is only one superintendent of police in Gadchiroli. In south Gadchiroli, which is a Naxal hub, 50 sub-inspectors’ posts are lying vacant. There is no SP or additional SP in south Gadchiroli. How can a force function without a leader?’’ asked a senior police official.

The Times of India, October 10, 2009

Kobad worked under 9 aliases: Cops

Kobad Gandhy

Times News Network
New Delhi: The Delhi police might think of Kobad Ghandy as a big catch but the CPI (Maoist) politburo thinks that arresting “a writer” is not a great deal. “I think it is exaggeration by the state that the person who writes for Maoists can be termed as ‘big catch’. Those who are working at the grassroots level are important,” Ghandy told TOI inside the courtroom while replying to a query.

Ghandy was produced before chief metropolitan magistrate Kaveri Baweja a day before expiry of his 14 days in judicial custody on a production warrant. The court, after hearing the police’s contention, granted remand for three days, till October 8. Ghandy, an alumnus of the prestigious Doon School, will be questioned by a joint team of Delhi and Andhra police. He was arrested here on September 21. “Ghandy’s role in major Naxal attacks needs to be established and he needs to be questioned in connection with the incriminating material seized,” said a senior police officer adding that since he was a member of the powerful central committee and politburo of CPI (Maoist), “We believe that he is privy to many secrets of the banned outfit”. The police claimed to have recovered material including CDs and a laptop from Ghandy who allegedly operated under nine fake names like Dilip Patel, Narsi, Arvind, Rajan, Katif Ansari and others to substantiate its charge that he was actively working for the Naxals.

Ghandy’s importance in the Maoist hierarchy and his direct links with the Naxalites on the ground can be understood by the Red ultras’ reaction in the wake of his arrest. First, they called for bandh in protest against his arrest and now they have demanded his release along with two others in exchange for freeing a Jharkhand cop.

However, there seems to be no takers in the home ministry for the Naxals’ reported demand to release three of their top ultras in exchange for freeing the cop—Francis Indwar—who was abducted by them in Khunti district last week. The ministry on Monday asked the state to check the veracity of the reported demand and step up efforts to rescue the police inspector, posted in the intelligence wing. Although officials termed the hostage-taking a “new and dangerous strategy”, they ruled out the possibility of giving in to pressure tactics. A self-proclaimed secretary of the South Chhotanagpur Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoist) on Saturday had demanded the release of three Naxals—Kobad Ghandy, Chhatradhar Mahato and Chandra Bhushan Yadav—in exchange for the abducted cop.

Mum team in Delhi to bring Ghandy
Mumbai: A police team (anti-Naxalite operations) from Maharashtra has reached New Delhi to take custody of alleged Naxal leader Kobad Ghandy. He was likely to be brought to Mumbai in a couple of days, said senior police officials.

Director-general of police (special operations, Naxalites) Jayant Umranikar said a Maharashtra police team had already left for New Delhi to take Ghandy’s custody. “Our team has reached Delhi and we are coordinating with our counterparts in New Delhi. Ghandy is wanted in several old cases in Maharashtra. We want to question him in connection with those cases,’’ he said. Ghandy worked in Chandrapur district before moving to Dhule in north Maharashtra, officials said.
Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali

The Times of India, October 6, 2009

Maoist menace : Urban scare

Mateen Hafeez I TNN
MUMBAI: The Maoist menace is no longer confined to the jungles. Last year, India’s financial capital got a Naxal scare. With the arrest of a few activists in August, the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police claimed to have busted a Maoist think tank, which was trying to indoctrinate and recruit people, and collecting funds for the organisation. Police believe that the Maoists are slowly and quietly making a base in the city. The police also suspect that the rebels might have some dangerous plans for the city. These fears stem from the fact that during the arrests of the suspected Maoists last year, the police recovered some detonators, a hand grenade, two firearms and 20 gelatin sticks.

According to police sources, Maoists have also articulated a new strategy to target urban centres in India, drawing up “guidelines for working in towns and cities”, and for the revival of a mobilisation effort targeting students and the urban unemployed. In 2006, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Lok Sabha that Maoists were planning to target important installations in major cities, including Mumbai.

But, there is no immediate threat. “There is no armed activity in Mumbai at the moment and the Maoists have kept their activities limited to propagating their ideology, setting up secret cells for frontal organisations and recruiting people,’’ says a police sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The Maoists are trying to spread their movement among trade and labour unions, poor people and students. According to police sources, there are some 75 Maoists in Mumbai. Most of them are not active members of the banned CPI (Maoist), but they sympathise with the leftist group’s cause. “We have come across several such people and are in the process of identifying them and preparing dossiers on them,” says an officer involved in the investigation.

The police believe that the Maoists come to Mumbai to regroup. “They are using Mumbai as a place of rest, planning and recruitment. The guerrillas who get injured in encounters with the police are sent to Naxal dens in Mumbai for treatment, education and relaxation,” says the officer.

Apprehending a major problem cropping up sometime soon, the ATS is getting inputs from the Special Branch and the State Intelligence Department (SID) about the Maoists and keeping an eye on some people. “Over half a dozen lawyers are on our radar but we cannot arrest them if there is no evidence against them,” says an ATS officer.

While Mumbai may be safe for the moment, sources claim that the Maoists definitely have plans to take their war to other urban centres. The rebels, the sources add, have plans to strike in the industrial belts of Bhilai-Ranchi-Dhanbad-Calcutta and Mumbai-Pune-Surat-Ahmedabad to take their battle into the heart of India.

mateen.hafeez@timesgroup.com

The Times of India, February 17, 2008