The Coimbatore District (Rural) Police will form a special unit to monitor activities of persons who are suspected to have been associated with organisations supporting left wing extremism. The unit, comprising three policemen, will also keep a watch on Maoist frontal organisations.
The formation of the unit is one of the strategies by the Tamil Nadu police to deal with left wing extremism in addition to its already functional wings, namely the Special Task Force (STF), the Naxal Special Division (NSD) and the ‘Q’ Branch.
Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police V. Badrinaryanan said each of the three policemen will cover the jurisdictions of two police sub-divisions. Special training will be given to them for the task.
They will visit places including tribal settlements and inaccessible areas to interact with people, besides monitoring the activities of persons linked to organisations supporting left wing extremism. Persons, who are actively involved in the activities of Maoist frontal organisations will also be monitored by the special unit, he said.
While visiting tribal settlements and inaccessible areas, the policemen will find out the needs of the people and take them to the attention of the district administration.
The Tamil Nadu police had intensified surveillance across Kerala border, especially in the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts, following the two recent gun battles between Maoists and commandos of the ‘Thunderbolt’ anti-naxal force of the Kerala police last month.
In the first exchange of fire reported near Periya in Wayanad district on November 7, the special force captured two armed irregulars, namely Chandru and Unnimaya of the Bansura Dalam of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
On November 13, Thunderbolt commandos and armed insurgents had a gun battle at Uruppumkutty at Karikkottakary in Kannur district.
Following the two incidents, the Tamil Nadu police intensified surveillance based on the intelligence that Maoists, who might have been injured in the firefight, might seek treatment in hospitals in neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Mr. Badrinarayanan said all the 14 inter-State checkposts in Coimbatore district are manned by five police personnel each at a time. In addition to the 10-member NSD team, the district police’s ‘Charlie 1’ and ‘Charlie 2’ units comprising 10 each policemen have been conducting combing operations. These three units were also having close coordination with the STF.
Following the two gun battles between armed insurgents and the police in Kerala, Inspector General of Police (West Zone) K. Bhavaneeswari also chaired a meeting with SPs of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris districts on November 17. She stressed the need to strengthen police presence in checkposts, patrolling in tribal areas and strengthen the surveillance mechanisms.
