2 policemen held for ‘supplying’ ammunition to Maoists in Bastar

RAIPUR: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a head constable in Sukma district were arrested on Monday over their alleged involvement in selling and supplying ammunition to Maoists in the Bastar region, the Chhattisgarh Police said.

“We have been watching this gang for long time, and a few more people are under the scanner,” DM Awasthi, Chhattisgarh’s director general of police (DGP), said. Sukma police have arrested ASI Anand Jatav and head constable Subhash Singh based on the ongoing probe, Bastar inspector general Sunderaj P said.“We are not disclosing more details because we are questioning them and more arrests could be made.”

Officials said the two personnel allegedly forged records of cartridge stocks, fudged numbers, and sold the stock not shown in records to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). Four middlemen have already been arrested in connection with the racket. “On basis of information we got on June 4, two of middlemen were arrested; they told us that two persons from Kanker district were supplying them arms. We arrested them on Sunday,” a police officer posted in Sukma, who did not want to be named, said. Darshan Padda, the secretary of Pratapur Area Committee of CPI(Maoist) group in Kanker, was in touch with the middlemen, the official said.

Sukma superintendent of police (SP) Shalabh Sinha said officials are working on all angles. “...we are expecting something big will come out.”

An Indian Police Service officer,requesting anonymity, said police personnel are not told to bring back cartridges after encounters against Maoists. “...this helps them to hide some cartridges…Now, after every anti-Maoist operation, every personnel is checked...But this is a different case,” he said.