CAF constable, friend held for stealing arms to sell it to naxals
Raipur, Oct 10 : A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawan and his friend were arrested for allegedly stealing arms and ammunition from a camp of the security force and trying to sell them to naxals in Dantewada district, police said on Wednesday.
Terming it a "very sensitive" issue, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava claimed that this was the first time a policeman was nabbed for stealing arms and selling to it naxals.
The accused, CAF 10th battalion (E company) constable Raju Kujur and his friend Mitthe Netam, were apprehended on Tuesday from Dantewada, around 400 km from here, he said.
Both are natives of Osra village in Dantewada's neighbouring Bijapur district, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, the SP said.
The CAF's E company was deployed in the Barsoor police station area of Dantewada.
During interrogation, Kujur claimed that some more police personnel from Bijapur and Dantewada were involved in the nexus, Pallava said, adding more arrests were likely after the investigation.
He said an investigation was launched after theft of two self-loading rifles and four magazines, containing 70 rounds of ammunition, from the CAF camp came to light a few days back.
The weapons and ammunition were recovered Monday from the bank of a river at a forest in Bhairamgarh area of Bijapur, the police officer said.
Based on suspicion, phone call details of Kujur, who was on leave for the last few days, were checked. Later, during interrogation, the accused admitted to have stolen the weapons to sell them to naxals, Pallava said.
The investigation also revealed that Kujur was allegedly involved in providing ammunition to naxals for the last five years in lure of money. This was the first time that he had struck a deal to supply automatic firearms to ultras, the SP said.
Describing it as a "very sensitive" issue, he said, "For the first time in the state, a policeman has been arrested in a case of pilferage of arms and ammunition and selling it to Maoists."
Pallava said Kujur had struck a deal for selling the rifles at Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh each and a round of ammunition for Rs 500.
Kujur's friend Netam was acting as his courier to supply the weapons to naxals, the SP said, adding a case has been registered against the accused under IPC sections 380 (theft) and 457 (trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence).
Kujur's bank account details and assets were being analysed, the police officer said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
