Three decades after Maharashtra established the country's first Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Tamil Nadu is now poised to form its own ATS. The state government has granted approval for this initiative, as disclosed by officials. The ATS will operate under the chief of Intelligence of the state police, possessing jurisdiction across the entire state and the authority to independently initiate legal actions in any part of Tamil Nadu, according to the officials.

A senior official stated, "The ATS will now be responsible for handling all cases related to terrorism and fundamentalism." According to P Amudh, the government issued an order, allocating a budget of ₹60.1 crore for the establishment of the wing, principal secretary of the state's home department.

“The Anti Terrorism Squad will function under the overall supervision of additional director general of police [ADGP], Intelligence and this unit will have state-wide jurisdiction and shall be declared as police stations with respect to offenses under specific acts and sections of IPC [Indian Penal Code] as proposed by the director general of police [DGP]. It shall have all the necessary powers to take independent legal action in any part of Tamil Nadu as per the order of director general of police/Head of Police Force, Tamil Nadu,” the government order said.

The government order additionally mentioned that an extra ₹28 crore will be allocated for the ATS in the revised estimates for the upcoming financial year. In April 2023, Chief Minister MK Stalin had previously declared the establishment of an ATS in the state assembly. “An anti-terror squad will be formed in the state intelligence department with 383 personnel to effectively tackle terror activities,” Stalin had said.

The ATS is expected to establish units in Madurai, Coimbatore, and Chennai, equipped with intelligence gathering and analysis tools, digital forensic equipment, and operational gear valued at ₹18 crore. Additionally, 89 new vehicles have been authorized for their use. In emergency scenarios, ATS members are permitted to travel by economy class on air transport, according to the official.

Similar to the formation of a special commando force in the 1990s to combat the sandalwood bandit Veerapan, a police officer stated that the ATS would serve as one of the "special units" within the Tamil Nadu police focused on counter-terrorism. Personnel for the squad will be reassigned from the CB-CID special investigation division, and teams will be led by an officer with the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG). The anti-terrorism squad will comprise 36 ministerial staff, including a legal advisor, psychologist, religious scholar, socialists, and police personnel for support, as mentioned by the officer.

The establishment of the ATS precedes the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and comes amid opposition criticism regarding the perceived deterioration of law and order in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged the state police to closely monitor individuals causing communal unrest, particularly those using social media to fan tensions. In a law and order review meeting in July, Stalin emphasized the need to address individuals escalating communal tensions through online platforms.

Several states, including Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have long-established Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) units. Notably, Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare lost his life in 2008 while bravely combating terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The importance of having a pre-existing ATS unit was evident in their swift mobilization during the attacks. However, Tamil Nadu lacked such a unit until now, as highlighted by the official.

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