ATS Nabs Elusive Naxalite in Pune After 15-Year Manhunt

After evading authorities for over a decade, a Naxalite fugitive was apprehended by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Pune unit in a meticulously planned operation.Court has directed seven days of police remand, up to May 13, 2025, to investigate his role in illegal activities pertaining to the outlawed Maoist group.

The man, hailing from Pune’s Tadivala Road initially, was a laptop and computer repair mechanic prior to his disappearance on November 15, 2010, after saying he was going to Mumbai for work. A missing person report was lodged at Bundgarden Police Station in January 2011 when he did not return. Investigations subsequently proved his strong affiliations with the Communist Party of India (Maoist) operating in the forests of Gadchiroli. He had taken up a pseudonym, changed his appearance, and shifted to Raigad district, where he worked as a school teacher for children in tribal colonies around Khopoli while propagating Maoist ideology surreptitiously.

In 2011, he was booked in a case at the Kalachowki Police Station in Mumbai under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. An arrest warrant and proclamation was issued, but he managed to evade detention, cleverly. His nickname, which was inspired by his technical acumen, gained popularity in Naxalite circles, symbolizing his role in the movement. He was connected to a key Maoist leader who was gunned down in a 2021 Gadchiroli police encounter, making him an important figure in the group. Another member, who had returned to Pune in January 2024 after contracting an illness, was also arrested by the ATS, indicating that the efforts to bust the network had intensified.

The action came when ATS Pune got a tip-off regarding the suspect’s proposed visit to the Charholi locality in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Acting quickly, the unit laid a trap and arrested him on May 3, 2025. After verification of his identity, he was arrestee yesterday and produced before the Mumbai Sessions Court. The operation highlights the ATS’s relentless effort to pursue individuals engaged in anti-national activities, especially those working undercover with hidden identities.

The suspect’s 15-year disappearance from Pune and his covert operations in Raigad expose the difficulties faced by law enforcement agencies in tracing fugitives who integrate themselves into society. His double life as a teacher in tribal regions while propagating proscribed ideologies exposes the duplicitous methods adopted by such agents. The arrest is a major triumph for the ATS, busting a network that has been a threat to regional security for years.

As the inquiry progresses, law enforcers seek to establish the scope of activities of the suspect and his affiliations within the Maoist structure. The granting of prolonged custody by the court indicates the seriousness of charges and the necessity of intensive interrogation. In the meantime, the arrest is a powerful signal regarding the scope of action of the police in confronting insurgency, raising eyebrows regarding how such people remain undetected for so long. The case remains relevant as a key step towards stemming Naxalite power in Maharashtra.

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