In a major operation, the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Friday apprehended a wanted militant, with alleged links to a banned outfit in the Northeast and also booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)
NEW DELHI — In a major operation, the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Friday apprehended a wanted militant, with alleged links to a banned outfit in the Northeast and also booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The accused is said to be an active member of the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur, a proscribed organisation active in the Northeastern state.
The arrest was made in South Delhi, and the breakthrough came after a tip-off and subsequent operation by security agencies in coordination with state units. A dedicated team from the Crime Branch reached the spot after intelligence inputs and nabbed him from a South Delhi location.
According to police sources, the accused had been evading security agencies for a long time and had been on the run.
He was found to be living at a secret location in South Delhi, using a fake identity. The police team, after getting credible inputs about his whereabouts, laid a trap and nabbed him on Friday.
According to the preliminary investigation, the accused was wanted in connection with serious cases registered at the Thoubal police station in Manipur. He faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and several other grave legal provisions.
The Crime Branch is currently conducting interrogation of the accused, in coordination with Manipur Police and central security agencies. The cops are also probing whether his motive behind hiding in Delhi was to plan and execute any conspiracy or attack in the national capital or the surrounding areas.
Notably, the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur is a separatist and insurgent organisation in Manipur, founded in 1978. Its key objective is to lead a crusade for an independent and sovereign state of Manipur.
The PLA, along with its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), have been declared an unlawful association under the UAPA, and the ban has been periodically extended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).