Two Chhattisgarh cops dismissed from service for Naxal links

Two Chhattisgarh cops posted in Police Line, Sukma who were arrested for their involvement in Naxal links have been dismissed from the service.

Raipur:Two policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), who were arrested for their alleged involvement in supplying ammunition to Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, have been dismissed from service, a senior official said on Friday.

ASI Anand Jatav and Head Constable Subhash Singh, who were posted in Police Line, Sukma, were arrested on June 8 for alleged links with a material supply racket of Maoists busted by the police last week, he said.

Due to criminal acts and suspicious conduct of any one or two officers or employees in the police department, the morale of the overall security forces deployed in Bastar division should not be affected.

"Keeping this in view, the two policemen were dismissed from service under provisions of Article 311 of the Constitution," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told a news agency.

They were sacked on June 10, he added. Last week, the Sukma police had arrested four suspected Maoist couriers from two places in Bastar division and seized a huge cache of ammunition, meant for Naxals, from them, the IPS officer said.

While two persons, identified as Manoj Sharma and Harishankar Gedam, were arrested from Sukma on June 2, as many, Ganesh Kunjam and Atmaram Nareti, were held from Kanker district on June 6, he said.

At least 695 live rounds (bullets) of 303, AK-47, SLR and INSAS rifles were recovered from their possession, he said.

Further investigation into the matter revealed the alleged involvement of the two cops in this Maoist supply chain, Sundarraj added. A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth Tiwari, has been set up to thoroughly probe the case, the IG said.

PTI report