Top Naxalites arrested in last six months

Ranchi, June 14: As many as 17 top Naxal leaders have been arrested so far this year following continued strengthening of the vigilance network and operations.

The arrested hardcore Naxalites were in the rank of self-styled area commanders or above of different outfits, including CPI(Maoist) and People’s Liberation Front of India, according to figures released by the police headquarters here today.

The security forces also arrested 277 Naxalites of different groups till May 31 this year, it said.

As part of the strategy, a policy decision has been taken to route all newly-appointed trainees through Special Task Force (STF) to make all new entrants to the police service operationally effective 'right from the beginning', the release said here. At least 40 Deputy Superintendents of police have finished training at the Police Training College (PTC), Hazaribagh, and undergone a stint with the STF and each of them posted in operationally critical sub-divisions, the release said.

Mentioning that another 63 Deputy Superintendents of Police have been appointed and are now under training at the PTC, the release said adding Jharkhand has created a training capacity for 4000 trainees. In another major decision, 52 Sergeants have been recruited and sent for training with CRPF in Odisha’s Koraput. In all, 758 jawans were trained in counter-insurgency, it added.

PTI