Surge in cases against ‘anti-national elements’ in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu witnessed a baffling rise in the number of cases booked against ‘Naxalites/Left-wing extremists’ in the last year, according to the National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) annual report. From just one case in 2018, as many as 26 cases under the section ‘crime by Naxalites/Left-wing extremists’ were registered in 2019.

However, 22 of these cases have been listed under ‘other IPC crimes’ in the NCRB list and are of petty in nature. The NCRB had recently added a segment -- crimes committed by anti-national elements -- to its annual report. This new segment lists three kinds of anti-national elements: North East insurgents, naxalites or left wing extremists, and terrorists (including Jihadis). 

No case was reported in the State under the ‘North East insurgents’ or ‘terrorists’ categories. However, under the category of left-wing extremism, one case was filed for criminal intimidation, three under special and local laws, and 22 cases under ‘other IPC crimes’.

A senior police officer said the ‘other IPC crimes’ category involved cases that were petty in nature. “For instance, left wing extremists or naxals laying siege to government buildings without proper permission, damaging public property and endangering others’ life, come under this category,” he added.

Even as the NCRB data listed not a single case under the category of ‘terrorists’, the senior officer said that last year the National Investigation Agency had conducted several raids across the State based on findings that suggested that the State was witnessing a major insurgency of terrorist organisations. “When the NIA arrested and interrogated several men, many others from similar groups began to appear on the radar,” he added.