Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sundaraj Pattilingam, who led anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, a former stronghold of leftist rebels, has been appointed inspector general of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) nearly three months after the government declared India Maoist-free.
The Union Home Ministry issued an order on Tuesday regarding Patlingam’s new assignment, which he will take up after the Chhattisgarh government relieves him of him. The ministry has asked the state to relieve Pattilingam immediately to enable him take charge of his first central deputation.
Pattilingam, 46, a 2003 batch IPS officer, served for 12 years in Bastar, where the central guerrilla arm of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) is headquartered. He headed the police there for seven years.
Most of the former Maoist-affected areas, such as Kanker, Sukuma, Bijapur, Dantwada, Narayanpur and Kondagaon, are in Bastar district. Pattilingam emerged as the face of counterinsurgency.
An alumnus of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, Pattilingam was one of the first police officers to undergo advanced commando training at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, set up in 2005 at Kanker in Bastar to prepare an experienced force to fight the Maoists.
Bijapur and Sukoma districts in Bastar district, and West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, were the last Maoist-affected districts until March.
The only area of concern in the country remains the western Singhbhum district, where Maoist Central Committee leader Misra Bisra is hiding in the Saranda forest. The government deployed additional forces to track him down.
Basra remained inactive and no longer controlled any village. He is believed to be hiding in the forest rather than surrender or fight.
More than 100 areas were affected at the height of left-wing extremism in the mid-2000s.
