5 regional units of ATS to be formed in Bihar: ADG

Bihar Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad will establish five regional units to monitor anti-national activities, creating 346 new posts and enhancing intelligence efforts.

Five regional units of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Bihar Police will be set up to monitor anti-national activities, said additional director general (ADG), ATS, Pankaj Darad on Monday.

5 regional units of ATS to be formed in Bihar: ADG

Apart from Patna, the units will be setup in Gaya, Motihari, Darbhanga and Purnia. Altogether 346 new posts will also be created for this.

The police headquarters had sent a proposal to the home department, detailing the significance of having five units at different places in view of the ground realities and past history, Darad told media persons.

The five regional units of the ATS will monitor and take required action under their jurisdiction. Every regional team will be headed by DSP-rank officer.

“A separate team is being formed at every district and police station level to provide intelligence to ATS. An officer and a constable will be exclusively engaged in collection of sensitive intelligence and coordinate with the Counter Terrorists Team (CTT) present in all districts,” Darad said.

He said the cooperation of the special branch would also be taken in this. “Apart from this, the prisons will also be monitored. If the criminals convicted in anti-national activities have come out of jail, these special teams formed at the police station level will also keep an eye on them. Information about liquor-drugs, cyber criminals etc. will also be shared with the concerned unit,” he added.

Darad said the regional offices would connected with the surrounding districts. “The regional offices will develop the working capacity of ATS. Their responsibility will be to monitor terrorism-related activity as well as religious, anti-national and criminal activities,” he added.

He said 176 persons had been identified for extremist ideology through the social media unit of ATS. “In this, 12 people were highly radicalised and five of them have been de-radicalised,” he added.

He said that 176 commandos of ATS had been specially trained so far. “They have been trained mainly at NSG Manesar and Kolkata centres. Besides, there are Special SWAT (Special Weapon and Tactics Team) team formed under ATS to monitor 297 sensitive institutions in the state,” Darad said.

The ADG said the process of seizure of illegal assets of 1421 identified criminals under Section 107 of the BNSS has started at a rapid pace, and cases of 407 are in court. The process is also on for seizure of assets against 80 criminals,” he added.