In a major crackdown on Maoists module in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR), Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday claimed to have averted major crimes likes bank robbery, abduction and contract killings in the national Capital and NCR by arresting 10 Maoists, including top commanders Ranjit Paswan (28) and Sunil Ravi Das (30), who were active in Bihar and Jharkhand.
“In the night-long raids that went on till the wee hours of Sunday, nine Naxals were arrested from Noida. Of the nine, six were picked up on Saturday night and three on Sunday morning. Another was arrested from UP’s Chandauli, bordering Bihar,” said UP ATS Inspector General of Police Aseem Arun at a Press conference in Noida.
The left-wing extremists were planning to strike in Delhi-NCR, said Arun. The ATS has recovered a large cache of arms and explosives from their possession. Paswan was trained in explosives and was adept in preparing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), said the IGP.
Initial investigations have revealed that the Maoists had set up a base in Noida to generate funds for their nefarious activities.
“The accused have confessed that they had moved to NCR to generate money by committing crimes like bank robbery, ATM heist, abduction and contract killings as their base were going weak for want of fund in Bihar and Jharkhand,” said Arun.
Self-styled area commander Pradeep Singh Kharwar, from Bariatu village in Jharkhand’s latehar district, was hiding in Noida since February, 2012, and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, said Arun.
Ranjit Paswan, a former self- styled area commander of erstwhile People’s War Group, was active in Naxal-hit Sasaram district of Bihar. He was arrested from UP’s Chandauli, adjoining Bihar, the IGP said.
Others arrested include Pawan Jharkhand of Madhubani in Bihar, Sachin Kumar of Dankaur in Greater Noida, Krishna Kumar Ram and Sunil Kumar Yadav from Sasaram, Shailendra Kumar from Baxur in Bihar, Ashish Saraswat and Brij Kishore from Aligarh, and Suraj, a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. Suraj was the group’s local contact for conducting operations in the Delhi-NCR area.
“The local had suspected some illegal activities by some suspicious people staying in a Noida apartment. They shared the details with local police and then we conducted raids on Hindon Vihar Apartment and Salarpur village in Noida. Nine suspected Maoists were arrested from their hideouts in Noida on intervening of Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, mastermind Sunil Ravi das was arrested later after the inputs from Chandauli district of UP on Sunday,” said the IGP.
“The presences of INSAS rifles, other weapons, cartages and explosive indicate that they might have major motives over their presence in NCR. They are trained in making explosives. We are investigating on more details,” he said.
Four pistols, three country-made pistols, 88 cartridges, 45 gelatin sticks of each 200 grams and 125 detonator used for making explosives. Two laptops, 13 mobile phones, four cars, one motorcycle and Rs 75,000 have been recovered from their their possession, the police said.