New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all its central agencies to keep a close watch on the Maoist movements in the Northeast following intelligence reports that the Left Wing Extremists (LWE) are trying to focus and create new bases in this landlocked region. What has further worried the Home Ministry is the fact that there is every possibility that the Maoists and insurgent outfits in the northeast might come to a "tactical understanding".
"Apart from directing all central intelligence agencies to keep a close watch on Maoist-related activities, we are always in constant touch with all the State governments in the northeastern states," said a senior official in MHA dealing with the LWE division to ETV Bharat on Monday. The home ministry, according to the official, has also decided to hand over all LWE related cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
"Whenever there is an arrest or breakthroughs in Maoists-related cases in the region, the NIA has been asked to take over the cases," the official said. On Sunday, during an extensive search operation in 17 different locations across Assam, the NIA has arrested an absconding Maoists member Reema Orang alias Saraswati from Upper Assam's Dibrugarh district. The NIA team also arrested Raju Oran and his wife Pinki Oran for their alleged Maoist connection from the Cachar district.
Incriminating documents related to CPI (Maoists), digital devices, mobile sets, and other materials have been seized from the arrested persons. The security agencies claimed to have achieved major breakthrough following the arrest. "The arrest was made less than a month after the arrest of CPI-Maoists central committee member Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee alias Kanchan Da along with his associate Akash Orang alias Kajal," the official said.
"We keep reviewing the situation related to Maoists activities in the Northeastern States with all the stakeholders in the security apparatus in Northeast," the official said. A senior official in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also expressed serious concern following the fact that the Maoists are trying to make their bases in the Northeastern States.
