Lucknow, April 30: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Friday arrested six persons, including two CRPF jawans, on charges of stealing arms and ammunition from the armoury and supplying them to Naxals. The arrests were made from Rampur, Jhansi and Moradabad.

The arrests came after the STF conducted massive raids on CRPF camps in various cities in UP in view of intelligence inputs that some CRPF men were allegedly selling arms and ammunition to banned outfits.
The STF zeroed in on the CRPF men after investigations into the Dantewada massacre, in which 76 CRPF men were ambushed and massacred by Naxals, revealed that the ammunition used by the rebels was supplied to troops from UP.
UP additional director-general of police Brij Lal told reporters that after the raids and the subsequent arrests the police apprehended that the racket had been running for more than six months and that the arrested men were being interrogated about the possible involvement of more persons. “We had received information about the suspicious activities of some CRPF men, who were allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to the Naxals. A team was formed under STF SSP Naveen Arora and additional SP Satyendra Singh to investigate the matter. Raids were carried out in Moradabad, Rampur and Jhansi and Vinod Paswan and Dinesh Singh of the CRPF have been arrested,” he said.
According to the ADG, the STF has also picked up one retired sub-inspector of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, identified as Yashodhanand Singh, who was seen moving in different armoury centres of the CRPF and PAC and collecting empty shells of bullets fired during training and later replacing them with live ammunition.
Over 5,000 live cartridges, 16 magazines for Insas rifles, .25 bore guns, SLRs and AK-47s were recovered besides 245 kg of empty shells. A large number of arms components, mobile phones and Rs 1.76 lakh in cash were also recovered from the arrested men.
“We have suspended both the personnel and have also ordered an immediate court of inquiry. We are in constant touch with the UP police and are extending all help to them,” said CRPF director-general Vikram Srivastava.

Age Correspondent