Lucknow: Six men, including some current and former members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for stealing weapons from the CRPF and selling them, possibly to Naxals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
That means the men who risk their lives every day to track and fight Naxals are possibly being betrayed by others in their force. (
Read & watch: 76 security men killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh)
On Friday, the UP Special Task Force conducted raids across the state and recovered 8 AK-47 magazines, nearly 5,000 cartridges, and mobile phones. The men involved, now arrested, include one former and two current armourers for the CRPF. As officials in charge of their regiments' arms, they found it easy to help themselves. The armourers worked with local policemen to sell the stolen weapons.
"Our main suspicion is that they could be supplying the cartridges to some Naxal organisation but details would be known only after completion of the investigation," said Brij Lal, Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order.
The Centre refused to confirm whether Naxals were indeed the buyers. "At the moment there is no link. The investigation is still continuing," said Union Home Secretary, G K Pillai.
In April, 76 men from the CRPF were on patrol duty in the Dantewada forests of Chhattisgarh when they were ambushed by nearly 300 Naxals. Stationed on hilltops, the Naxals opened fire. Landmines blew up around the jawans. They didn't stand a chance. It was India's worst-ever Naxal attack and it alerted officials to the possibility that arms and ammunition were being smuggled out of a CRPF centre at Rampur.