Urban naxal operative arrested by ATS in Pune after 15 years on run

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) In a major breakthrough, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a long-absconding Naxal operative, Prashant Jalindar Kamble alias “Laptop,” from Pune who was on the run for the past 15 years.

The 44-year-old was wanted in a 2011 case under serious charges, including those under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

According to the official press note released by the ATS Pune Unit on Sunday, “The accused Prashant Jalindar Kamble alias Laptop… was absconding since the crime occurred in 2011. He was declared absconding by the Hon. Court, and a non-bailable warrant and proclamation were issued against him.”

Prashant Kamble was arrested on May 3, 2025, by the Pune unit of ATS and subsequently handed over to the Thane unit, which had been pursuing the case registered under UNIT CR NO 19/2011.

He was produced before the Sessions Court in Mumbai, which remanded him to police custody until May 13.

Kamble, who hails from Pune’s Tadiwala Road area, had reportedly been living in hiding in Khopoli under a changed identity. Once a promising student and graduate from a Pune college, Kamble was known for his expertise in computer and laptop repairs, a skill that earned him the code name “Laptop” within the Naxal ranks.

In 2010, Kamble left home telling his family he was heading to Mumbai for work. Weeks later, he contacted them and revealed he had joined the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), saying:

“I have joined the Naxals, I am working with them in the jungles… have taken weapons training and am using my computer skills for their work. There’s no turning back now.”

Police sources confirm that Kamble worked closely with the late Milind Teltumbde, a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) who was killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli in 2021.

Both Kamble and his associate Santosh Vasant Shelar (alias Vishwa), also a member of the radical cultural outfit Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), were radicalised by Teltumbde and his wife, Angela Sontakke, according to ATS.

The ATS describes Kamble as “a high-value target in the field of urban Naxalism” and “a hard-core follower of Naxal ideology.” His arrest is considered a significant success in the ongoing fight against left-wing extremism in Maharashtra.

Further investigations are currently underway.

–