The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Suspected extremists belong to PWG: police

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Friday, Jun 29, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Suspected extremists belong to PWG: police

Tamil Nadu Bureau

STF to start combing Periakulam forest today

THENI/CHENNAI: Three suspected Tamil extremists, arrested in Muruganmalai in Periakulam recently, belong to the People’s War Group (PWG), according to R. Sudhahar, Theni Superintendent of Police, and Ashok Kumar, SP, Q Branch.

In a joint press meet here on Thursday they said four other gang members — Raja, Ranjith, Suresh and Sekar — escaped. Two teams of Special Task Force would start combing the Periakulam Forest Range on Friday to nab those who escaped.

Documents found in the house where the gang stayed at Pannaikadu confirmed that they belonged to the PWG.

Mr. Sudhahar said the case had been shifted to the Q Branch, which had taken those arrested into its custody. . Investigations revealed that three of those who had escaped had fictitious names, said Mr. Ashok Kumar. While Ranjith’s original name is Sekar, Suresh’s real name is Naveen alias Prasad and Sekar’s name Kalidas. Raja was the team’s coordinator.

Kalidas and Naveen, posing as textile merchants, camped at Pannaikadu, on the lower Kodaikanal hills, to train youth. The gang met at the Periakulam bus stand and went to Murugan Malai on June 26 to find a suitable location for training, he said. “The guns seized from them are useless and used only for training.”

People had caught Sakar and Naveen and handed them over to the police in Dharmapuri in 2001 and cases were pending against them. They were arrested again in 2003 also. Raja used to go to colleges and recruit youth for the movement, Mr. Ashok Kumar added.

If people have any information, they may contact mobile numbers: 98408 29900, 94422 26600 or 04546-253101 and 04546-231250. Secrecy would be maintained and suitable rewards given .

A hunt is on to locate seven more persons wanted in this connection, Director-General of Police D. Mukherjee, told The Hindu, adding that he was planning to visit the area.

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