ATS arrests 3 including CRPF jawan for supplying ammo to Maoists

Three persons, including a CRPF jawan, were arrested by Jharkhand's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for allegedly supplying ammunition to the banned ultra outfit CPI (Maoists), police said on Tuesday.

Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Jharkhand has busted a gang involved in supplying arms and ammunitions to naxal outfits and criminals gangs and has arrested three persons including a CRPF jawan, Prashant Anand, superintendent of police (SP), ATS, said.

Those arrested include CRPF Jawan Avinash Kumar alias Chunnu Sharma (29), a resident of Imamgunj in Gaya district and currently posted with CRPF 182 BN stationed in Pulwama and his two associates, Rishi Kumar (49), a native of Benipur under Salempur police station of Patna and Pankaj Kumar Singh (48) of Simri village under Sakra police station of Muzaffarpur.

The official said police has recovered huge ammunition from their possession after arresting Avinash and Rishi from Patna and Gaya with the help of Bihar police. Pankaj Singh was arrested from Ranchi by the state police.

The SP said Avinash had joined the CRPF in 2011 and was posted in Pulwama since 2017 but had been absent from duty for the past four months. Earlier, he was posted at 112 BN CRPF in Latehar and was also with 204 BN Cobra in Jagdalpur.

The official said that prima facie it appeared that the gang was involved in making quick money and they have confessed supplying ammunition in the past and were in touch with gangsters in jail using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

In course of interrogation carried out so far, SP said it was revealed that the accused have supplied ammunitions for AK-47 and INSAS rifles in huge quantity.

On a lead provided by the accused during interrogation, SP said 450 rounds of live ammunition of 5.56 mm bore, which was being used for INSAS rifles, were recovered.

SP said the arrested CRPF jawan was in contact with Aman Sahu (Ranchi) gang, Harendra Yadav (Gurwa, Gaya, Bihar) and Lallu Khan ( Pratappur, Chatra). Harendra Yadav and Lallu Khan are currently languishing in Sherghati and Gaya jail, he said.

Rishi Kumar, he said was involved in transportation sector in Ranchi and came in contact with two contractors - Sanjay Singh and Muhahir - who were engaged in road construction work in Chaibasa-Seraikela region. The contractors were allegedly given the responsibility to deliver ammunitions to CPI (Maoists).

He said Sanjay Singh was in contact with arms and ammunition dealers in Assam and Nagaland.

A case has been registered against the three under various sections of IPC, Arms Act, CLA Act and UAP Act, he said.