Mumbai: Police have arrested a person and seized 25 swords and 10 spears on November 14 during a raid on a camp in neighbouring Thane district, run by a retired colonel allegedly to train youths on a suicide mission to counter terrorism.

Sanjiv Ganesh Atre was arrested for allegedly violating provisions of Bombay Police Act and Indian Arms Act by providing training to youth in the use of weapons at the camp, Thane police sources said on November 15.

Atre had defied an order of Thane collector imposing a ban on carrying or possessing swords or lethal weapons in the district between November 12 and 25, police said.

Atre had disclosed that the camp was being run under the guidance of Col Jayan Chitale, founder of Maharashtra Military Foundation, police said, adding that both Atre and Chitale were residents of Pune.

The camp was being conducted at Vasat village near Badlapur in Thane district where about 30 youth were trained for suicide squad "Hindustani Atma Ghataki Pathak", to counter Pak-sponsored terrorism.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on November 14 said that the government has asked police to thoroughly probe media reports about a camp allegedly run to train "suicide squads" and submit a report in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Chitale had said in Pune that the outfit was formed with an aim to force Pakistan to stop terrorism.

He had also clarified that the suicide squad was not aimed at any caste, community or religion and that its formation had nothing to do with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's call for such squads.

PTI