Combing intensified to check naxal movement

HT Correspondent

HT Correspondent

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VARANASI: A joint team of security forces, including Sonbhadra police, Provincial Armed Constabulary and CRPF, has intensified combing and patrolling in the areas of district sharing boundaries with Chhattishgarh and Jharkhand to keep naxals’ activities and their movement in check in the region.

A senior police officer, who didn’t wish to be named, said that the intelligence agencies alerted the district police after receiving inputs that groups of naxals from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh might enter the bordering pockets of Sonbhadra and make these areas their ‘safe heaven’. Also, they may increase their activities with the help of the gullible locals.

Subsequently, top police officials of three bordering districts, including Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Mirzapur, held a meeting in Sonbhadra to discuss the strategy to check this. Several circle officers and additional superintendents of police of both the districts attended the meeting, the officer said.

Superintendent of police of Sonbhadra Prabhakar Chaudhary chaired the meeting and instructed the officials to keep a strict vigil in the villages in the bordering areas. He also instructed the cops to listen to the problems of the locals and speak to the officials of the department concerned for their solution.

Chaudhary told officials to motivate the locals to inform police in case they notice any suspected activities or movement of the naxals in their respective villages. The locals should be assured that the name of the person, who gives information to police, will be kept a secret and not be disclosed. He also asked the cops to hold chaupals in the villages, the officer said.

According to sources, some of the naxals in recent past crossed the border from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh after committing offences there and ran back ever since the police intensified combing.