Maoist suspects arrested by Pune ATS left in the lurch

The West Bengal (WB) police, it seems, are not interested in taking into custody the 10 suspected Maoists arrested by Pune’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) about five months ago.

Sources in the ATS confided to DNA that despite sending several reminders to the WB police, there has been no response from them. The suspects were arrested from Pune railway station on May 13.

All of them hail from Maoist-infested Midnapore district of WB. Firearms and Naxal literature were seized from them. They were staying at a chawl in Doksangvi, a village 50 km from Pune city, in Shirur taluka.

The arrests of the suspected rebels had created a flutter in the Pune rural police. It had sought all details of labourers hailing from outside the state and working in MIDC area. It had asked the contractors to furnish details of these labourers.

The custody of these rebels by the WB police is imperative since that state and its neighbours, Jharkhand and Orissa, are plagued by Maoist unrest and violence. ATS officials are of the view that by taking them into custody and interrogating them extensively the WB police could have ferretted out more information about the rebels’ activities in these states.

A team from the WB police, headed by a deputy superintendent of police, did indeed visit Pune to interrogate the suspects. “While returning, the team assured us that they would return soon with the transfer warrants to take them back to West Bengal,’’ ATS officials said, adding, “We had sent them yet another reminder a few days ago. But there has been no response from them.