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West Bengal Timeline 2011
Date
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Incidents
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January 2
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Three cadres
of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from Lakxmanpur area of the West
Midnapore District. Acting on a tip-off, the Security Forces raided
the village and arrested Mangal Mahato, Gopal Mahato and Jagadish
Mahato, Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma said.
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January 3
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Four Maoists cadres
were arrested from Belpahari area of Jhargram in West Midnapore
District. Acting on a tip-off, the SFs raided the area and arrested
Biswanath, Mukunda, Samay Kisku and Prafulla Ruidar, Jhargram
SP Pravin Tripathi said.
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January 4
|
A cadre of the
CPI-Maoist was killed and another seriously injured in
an encounter between the Maoists and the SFs in Bakshibandh forest
near Lalgarh in West Midnapore District.
The CBI made its
eighteenth arrest in the Gyaneshwari Express derailment incident
from the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District.
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January 5
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An accused, identified
as Bimal Mahato in the Gyaneshwari case secured bail. Jharkhand
resident Bimal is among the 23 chargesheeted in the case. He was
granted bail by Jhargram court on the ground that he reportedly
had just provided shelter to prime accused Monoj Mahato alias
Bapi who was arrested by the West Bengal CID from his home on
August 26, 2010.
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January 6
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A local leader of the ruling CPI-M,
identified as Dilip Mahato was abducted and killed by the CPI-Maoist
cadres in West Midnapore District. 'Dilip Mahato, secretary of
CPI-M's Jambedia branch committee in Sankrail Police Station area
was found dead in the morning of January 7,' said ASP Mukesh Kumar.
The Maoists triggered a landmine
blast inside the house of Nemai Sen, a local CPI-M leader in Nadaria
village near Salboni area. 'A group of 15-20 armed Maoists attacked
Sen's house in the night. As Nemai was not present at that time,
the Maoists dragged out his father and beat him up severely. Later
a major portion of the house was blown up by triggering landmine
blast inside the house,' said a senior Police Officer.
The restrictions
on movement of passenger trains during night in Maoist-affected
areas of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand will continue till
January 13, the South Eastern Railway (SER) said in Kolkata.
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January 7
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Some Maoist
posters were noticed on the walls of a CPI-M party office and
local club in Gangulibagan area in the southern Kolkata, a Police
Official said.
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January 8
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PCPA, the CPI-Maoist-backed
outfit, the leadership said that its cadres were behind the attack
— on what it described as a camp of the ‘harmad’ (hired armed
goons) — which led to violence resulting in the death of seven
persons at Netai village in the Lalgarh area of the State's West
Midnapore District on January 7.
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January 9
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A group of suspected
CPI-Maoist cadres killed a villager, identified as Jamil Soren
in West Midnapore District. Soren, a native of Garra village near
Lalgarh, was dragged out of his house and was shot dead. Locals
said Soren was a former member of the Democratic Youth Federation
of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI-M. He recently
joined the Maoist-backed PCPA and was active in the area.
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January 12
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Suspected cadres
of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze the house of a ruling CPI-M local
committee member Bibek Mondal, who was not at home then, in Chandpal
village of Sankrail in West Midnapore.
Over 150 under
trial prisoners arrested in connection with Maoist activities
have gone on an indefinite hunger strike in different jails of
West Bengal. The strike has been launched as a protest against
the 'mass killings' at Netai village of Lalgarh where seven unarmed
villagers were shot dead by the CPI-M cadres on January 7.
West Bengal Chief
Secretary Samar Ghosh says there are no armed camps in the State.
This claim came, before the State is to file an affidavit in Calcutta
High Court on its stand on a Central Bureau of investigation probe
into the Netai killings and whether "armed camps" can be dismantled
with the help of Central and State Forces.
Chief Secretary
Samar Ghosh later told reporters that he had asked Police Superintendents
to submit reports on the presence of camps.
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January 14
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Intelligence officials
have sent specific inputs to camps-in-charge under various Police
Stations in West Midnapore District about an impending attack
by cadres of the CPI-Maoist and PCPA. The report added, "Large
numbers of arms and ammunition have been collected by (CPI-Maoist)/
PCPA and Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia supporters as well as criminals
and miscreants supported by various political parties."
The death toll
in the violence at Netai in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore
District rose to eight, with one woman identified as Gitali Adak,
succumbing to their bullet injuries in Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial
(SSKM) Hospital in Kolkata. PCPA, the CPI-Maoist backed outfit,
were behind the January 7 violence at Netai.
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January 16
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The death toll
in the violence at Netai in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore
District rose to nine, with one women identified as Arati Mondal
(55) succumbing to their bullet injuries in Seth Sukhlal Karnani
Memorial (SSKM) Hospital in Kolkata. PCPA, the CPI-Maoist backed
outfit, were behind the January 7 violence at Netai.
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January 17 |
A group of suspected cadres of
the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a ruling CPI-M party office at Dibibaksol
under Jhargram Police limit in West Midnapore District.
The Maoists triggered a land mine
blast in a building housing the office and training facility of
a SHG, Naba Jagran Sangha, at Khaerboni village in Jhargram block.
"Two land mines were blasted in a SHG's office in Patashimul area
of Jhargram early today. The entire building was damaged. We suspect
the Maoists active in the area are involved in the crime," said
ASP Mukesh Kumar.
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January 18 |
Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
killed a person, stated to be a supporter of the ruling CPI-M,
and assaulted more than 20 others in the Belatikri area near Lalgarh
in West Midnapore District.
A division bench of Chief Justice
J.N. Patel and Justice A.K. Roy of Calcutta High Court directed
the joint SFs to find out if armed camps existed in the Junglemahal
- the forest areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts
- and neutralise them.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
agreed with the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's view that
"all armed groups" operating in the State should be disarmed,
a tacit admission that such gangs did exist in the State and Netai-like
killings should not recur.
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January 21 |
Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
shot dead a CPI-M leader in West Midnapore District. The victim
identified as 'Rabi Mahato, a CPI-M leader of Ramgarh near Lalgarh,
was dragged out of his house by a group of armed men and was shot
dead. His bullet-ridden body was recovered on the next morning.
Two skeletons were found near
Lakhanpur forest near Lalgarh by villagers.
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January 23 |
Three activists of the ruling
CPI-M were killed by suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Rameswarpur
village of Salboni in West Midnapore District. The three victims
were identified as Karamchand Mahato (40), a resident of Hathilot
village adjoining Rameswarpur, Uttam Roy and Kashinath Palmal
of Sahaspur village in Keshpur, while the one injured, Sambhunath
Samanta (25), is from Anandapur in Keshpur, DSP Aneesh Sarkar,
said.
A CPI-Maoist squad
leader, identified as Kalicharan alias Kaliram Soren active
in Binpur area, was arrested by the Police from Jhatira village
in Jhargram in West Midnapore District.
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January 24
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Two senior woman
squad leaders of the CPI-Maoists operating from Gumla in neighbouring
Jharkhand were arrested during a joint raid by the West Bengal
and Jharkhand Police at Kanksa town under Durgapur sub-division
of Bardhaman District.
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January 26
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Decomposed bodies
of two ruling CPI-M workers, suspected to have been killed by
the cadres of the CPI-Maoist, were recovered from the outskirts
of Pathari village in the Jhargram area in West Midnapore District.
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January 29
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The CRPF said
it has not been able to recover any arms from the camps allegedly
run by the ruling CPI-M in Lalgarh and its adjoining Districts
of West Bengal.
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January 31
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Two suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
were arrested from a relief camp run by TMC in West Midnapore.
Three Maoists, identified as Malini
Hansda (26), Baburam Murmu (20) and Dhiren Soren (18), surrendered
in Bankura District, to join the mainstream.
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February 1
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Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
abducted Baria Soren, a ruling CPI-M supporter, at gunpoint from
Sapdhara village in West Midnapore District.
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February 2
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Acting on a tip-off, the Police
arrested three Maoist action squad members, identified as Siddhartha
Pal, Gooden Soren and Srinath Murmu from the Namagacharia forest
in Bankura District.
A suspected cadre of the CPI-Maoist,
identified as Tapan Mudi, was arrested from Jhargram Police District.
He was involved in the murder of Ajit Mondal, a ruling CPI-M worker
in May 2010, Police said.
Hundreds of locals blocked National
Highway-6 near Bankshole village in the Police District. The agitating
villagers claimed that Joint Forces picked up Gouranga Khilari,
a student of Class X, while he was on his way to school.
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February 4
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Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
shot dead a local leader of the ruling CPI-M at Nayagram in West
Midnapore District.
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February 6
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Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
and Maoist-backed PCPA set a truck carrying sponge iron on fire
in Jhargram sub-divisional municipality in West Midnapore District.
Pledging support to TMC Chief
Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming Assembly elections, regional Maoist
leader Bikram said that if Banerjee truly wants to work for the
benefit of the people, she should resign from the Union Cabinet.
His statement was released in the form of a CD to a section of
the electronic media.
Bishnu Soren alias Rimil
(40), a CPI-Maoist 'squad commander' operating in Binpur area
of West Midnapore wanted in seven cases, including the Silda Eastern
Frontier Rifles (EFR) camp attack, was arrested by Jhargram Police
from the Binpur area in West Midnapore District.
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February 7
|
he State Government said it had
identified a 600-acre plot for locating a regional hub of the
National Security Guard (NSG). State Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh
told reporters that the land was located near Singur in Hooghly
District, adding, "We will inform them about this plot and if
they approve it, the handover can begin within four to five months."
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February 9
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The West Bengal State Government
said the CPI-Maoist has infiltrated into the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
(GJM) ranks and have triggered the violence. GJM is a party fighting
for a separate State of Gorkhaland. "We have information that
Maoists have sneaked into the Morcha ranks and they stoked
violence there," a Home Department official said. The CPI-Maoist,
earlier in the day, condemned the Police firing and said they
were extending their support to the cause of the Morcha.
Two persons were killed and 19 people, including seven GJM supporters
and 12 Police personnel, were injured on February 8 during a protest
which turned violent in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
shot dead Rabi Lochan Singh Mura, an AIFB supporter, in the Baghmundi
area of Purulia District. Posters left behind by the Maoists at
the murder site said that Rabi was killed as they suspected him
to be a Police informer.
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February 12
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West Bengal Police recovered a
cache of arms and ammunition from the house of Maoist leaders
Najim Sekh and Atar Sekh from Bindugram village in Burdwan District.
"We recovered a U.S. made 9 mm pistol, one sten carbine gun, two
magazines, and 35 rounds of cartridges. No arrests have been made
till now," said Tirthendu Ganguly, the Officer in Charge of Mongalkote
Police Station.
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February 13
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A local leader of the ruling CPI-M,
identified as Rameshwar Bag (60) of Panchruki village in the Jhargram
area, was killed by a group of 8-10 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist
in West Midnapore District. Maoist posters, claiming responsibility
for the killing, were recovered from the spot. They read that
Bag was given 'capital punishment' for acting as Police informer,
SP Praveen Tripathy said.
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February 14
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A JMM supporter was killed by
suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist at Gopiballavpur in West Midnapore
District.
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February 15
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Uttam Mahato, a cadre of the CPI-Maoist
squad led by Gautam Rana operating in Jhargram sub-division of
West Midnapore District, was arrested. Uttam, arrested from his
native place Tatai, was wanted in several cases, including four
murders, arson and damaging Government properties, Jhargram SP
Praveen Tripathi said.
Another Maoist, identified as
Chinmoy Murmu, was arrested from Taldangra area of Bankura District.
Joint forces recovered a pistol
from a panchayat office at the Belatikri village of Jhargram
area in West Midnapore District.
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February 16
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An advanced central force of 100
companies of security men, to prevent pre-poll violence, will
start arriving from February 20 for deployment in the Maoist-dominated
areas and in North Bengal. West Bengal Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh
said that of the total 800 companies of central forces sought
by the State Government, an advanced team of 100 companies will
start arriving from February 20.
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February 17
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Two CPI-Maoist cadres, identified
as Bhim Baske and Ganesh Murmu were arrested after a gunfight
at Bera and Baghghora by the Police in West Midnapore District.
"Seeing the Forces approaching their hideout, the Maoists opened
fire.
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February 18
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CPI-Maoist cadres killed Bablu
Mahato, a worker of the ruling CPI-M in West Midnapore District.
Two firearms, 20 rounds of cartridges
and explosives were recovered from the house of Rajesh Mahato,
a Jharkhand party activist in Hansda in Jhargram sub-division.
"Acting on specific inputs, we raided Mahato's house and recovered
the arms and ammunition," said Kumar.
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February 20
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CPI-Maoist cadres killed one person
in Sankrail in Jhargram sub-division of West Midnapore District,
accusing him of being a Police informer.
A cadre of the
CPI-Maoist backed PCPA was arrested from Indraboni area near Manikpara
in Jhargram sub-division of the West Midnapore District.
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February 23
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Suspected CPI-Maoist
cadres triggered a landmine explosion at a panchayat office
in the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District.
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March 2
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Five persons were
arrested and nearly 425 kilograms of gelatine was recovered in
Birbhum District. The Police said that they were investigating
whether the explosive material was meant for the CPI-Maoist. "Acting
on specific inputs, we conducted raids along Dubrajpur-Pandaveswar
road in Dubrajpur area and recovered 17 packets of gelatine gel
from a Bankura bound vehicle. Five persons travelling in the vehicle
were arrested," said Birbhum SP Nishat Parvez. "Two
were from Jamuria in Burdwan, two from Rampurhat in Birbhum and
one from Bankura. We are interrogating to know the source and
receivers of such a huge quantity of gelatine gel," the SP
said. The consignment might be meant for the Maoists who are active
in Bankura District, Police said.
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March 3
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Sarkar Hembram
(26), a constable posted in Purulia District was abducted by suspected
cadres of the CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA, from his in-laws’ home in
Beliabera in West Midnapore District on March 3. According to
the Police, Sarkar was in a conversation with his father-in-law
Khelaram Tudu, a constable at Midnapore court, in the courtyard
of his house when five armed PCPA cadres arrived on three motorcycles.
"The youths had their faces covered and they took Sarkar
and his father-in-law away on their motorcycles. Around 8pm, Khelaram
was released. But Sarkar is yet to be released," said a Police
officer.
Two suspected
Maoists were arrested from Banisole village near Lalgarh in the
District. The duo was identified as Meghnath Mahato and Madhusudan
Mahato, wanted in several cases. "Meghnath is the brother
of Maoist squad leader Badal. We are now interrogating them to
know whereabouts of Badal," said a Police officer.
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March 6
|
Two persons were
arrested, for extorting money in the name of the CPI-Maoist, in
Purulia District. "Two daily wage labourers- Khalil Ansari
and Panchu Mahato- were arrested Sunday morning from Dikhshila
village in Purulia Maffarsal Police Station area," SP Sunil
Chowdhury said. Both were extorting money in the name of the Maoists.
Initially people did not inform the police, fearing an attack
by the Maoists, but then lodged a complaint after realising that
the duo was duping them, said Chowdhury. 'Acting on the specific
complaint, we rounded up them from their residences. They will
be brought before a local court Monday,' said the SP.
Sarkar Hembram,
a Police Constable, suspected to have been abducted by Maoist-backed
PCPA cadres in West Midnapore District, remained untraced for
the third day, Police said. "Search operations are being
conducted in the area. We are trying our best to trace Constable,
Sarkar Hembram," said SP Praveen Tripathi. Hembram was abducted
on March 3, by the suspected PCPA cadres from his in-law's house
in Beliabera in the District.
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March 7
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One CPI-Maoist-backed
PCPA cadre, identified as Keshab Mahato was killed during an encounter
reportedly between the PCPA cadres and the CPI-M supporters in
the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District. According to the
Police, the firing incident took place when around 50 PCPA cadres
started hurling bombs and firing bullets at the houses of the
25 CPI-M supporters, in an attempt to prevent them from returning
to their homes at Khaerboni village after they had earlier managed
to escape from the area a few months back. "The sequence of events
is still not very clear to us as by the time the forces reached
the village, most of the people had fled. The body found at the
spot was identified that of Keshab Mahato, resident of nearby
Patashimul village," ASP of Jhargram Police District Mukesh Kumar
said.
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March 8
|
Nine armed
cadres of the ruling CPI-M, were arrested by CRPF in Moshina village
in West Midnapore District. IGP, CRPF (operations), T B Rao, said
acting on a tip-off, CRPF's 50th battalion troopers raided a hideout
in Moshina village three kilometres from Pirakata. "The information
related to the presence of some armed miscreants hiding there
with a huge stockpile of arms," Rao said. A huge cache of arms
and ammunition was also recovered by the CRPF troopers.
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March 10
|
Sashadhar Mahato
alias Kiran, a top ranking cadre of the CPI-Maoist, is
suspected to have been killed in an encounter with the SFs in
the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District. According to the
District Police, SFs raided a Maoist hideout in Chandsora village,
near Kushaboni forest, after receiving a tip-off about Mahato
having been camping there with a group of Maoists. "As the
security personnel were trying to cordon off the hideout, the
Maoists became alert and opened fire on us. The forces retaliated,
leading to an encounter that lasted about an hour before the Maoists
fled from the area," ASP Mukesh Kumar, told The Hindu from
the encounter site. "Top-ranking Maoist leader Sashadhar Mahato
has been killed in an encounter and one AK 47 rifle has been recovered
from him at Binpur under Jhargram Police Station," IG, CRPF, T
B Rao said. Rao said one more person has been arrested, but his
identity is not yet known and that the encounter and search operation
is still going on.
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March 11
|
Two decomposed
bodies recovered are suspected to be that of Partha
Biswas, intelligence branch inspector, and Soumyajit
Basu, teacher cum an NGO worker, who
were abducted by the CPI-Maoist cadres
on October 24, from a place four kilometres
west of Birbhum in Ayodhya area of Purulia District, were found
lying in a ditch in Dhanchatani village
in Ayodhya Hill area of the District.
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March 12
|
The West Bengal
Government will ensure full security to workers deputed for election
duty in CPI-Maoist-affected Districts of West Midnapore, Bankura
and Purulia. The Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh told reporters in
Kolkata that the full Security Force would be present. Ghosh said
this in response to queries that people were refusing to go to
the three Districts for fear. The elections to the three Districts,
comprising 14 Assembly constituencies, will be held on May 10,
the last day of the six-phase election schedule announced by the
Election Commission for West Bengal.
The Police identified
the arrested cadre as Biju Mahato alias Pilot, a close
associate of CPI-Maoist ‘commander’ Sashadhar Mahato, killed in
a gunfight on March 10. 'Biju was present alongside Sashadhar
during the gunfight in Jamboni area (Thursday). He, however, escaped
and took shelter in an adjacent village. He was arrested during
combing operations,' ASP (operation) Mukesh Kumar said.
The GRP arrested
three persons identified as Mantu Chowdhury, Manoj Jaiswal and
Aravind Thakur, suspecting them to be carriers of the CPI-Maoist,
from the Down Jamalpur Express reaching Howrah railway station
in Kolkata District. Police recovered 50 gelatin sticks, 15 kg
of ammonium nitrate and 10 detonators from their possession.
The CPI-Maoist
has put up banners in West Midnapore District protesting the killing
of their leader Sashadhar Mahato in an encounter with the Police
in the District on March 10, the Police said. "Several banners
and posters put up by the Maoists were found in Jhargram area.
The banners say Mahato was killed in a ‘false encounter’ (staged
shootout) with Police," said a Senior Police Official. Some
of the banners carried threats against the Police Officers who
were involved in the killing, he added. "We were informed
about these banners and posters in some places of Jhargram. Police
personnel have rushed to the spot," ASP Mukesh Kumar, said.
The CPI-Maoists
have called for a 48-hour bandh in West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Bihar and Odisha from March 13, to protest the killing of its
‘commander’ Sashadhar Mahato.
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March 15
|
Two cadres
of the CPI-Maoist, including a woman squad cadre were arrested
in two separate raids in West Bengal. "Acting on tip-off, we conducted
raids and arrested Rajesh Murmu alias Buru from Koima village
in Bankura District, while Saraswati Mandi was arrested from Chirudi
village in Purulia District," SP (Bankura) Pranav Kumar, said.
"Both were wanted in several cases, including murder, sedition
and damaging Government property," said Kumar. Rajesh hails from
Barigeria near Goaltore in West Midnapore District and is believed
to be a close associate of Bikash, ‘state committee member’ of
the outfit and was assigned to lead the Goaltore squad after the
death of Sidhu Soren, the founder secretary of Maoist-backed PCPA
in an encounter, said a Police Officer. Mandi, a resident of Harambara
village, was a senior squad member of Maoist leader Arjun’s squad,
he said.
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March 19
|
The body of
Sarkar Hembram, a Police constable abducted by suspected CPI-Maoist
cadres on March 3, from the Jhargram region was recovered by the
Police from Chotajammal village, based on information divulged
by Debdulal, a Maoist squad member of the notorious Gautam Rana-squad,
arrested from Ghritabani village in the Binpur area of West Midnapore
District on March 18. According to Mukesh Kumar, ASP in Jhargram,
the Forces received information in the evening of March 18 that
a Maoist squad headed by Suchitra Mahato was hiding in Amapuli
village in the Binpur Police Station area for the past two days.
Suchitra is the wife of Sashadhar Mahato, who was killed in a
gunfight with the Security Forces on March 10. "The group comprising
squad members Hitler, China and Hero under Suchitra's leadership
was camping at the edge of an open field in Amapuli village, barely
4 km from Chandsora village where Sashadhar was killed. As the
CoBRA troopers of Central Reserve Police Force tried to cordon
off the area, the Maoist sentry got alerted and fired. The Forces
retaliated but the Maoists fled soon after leaving behind three
rifles, one carbine, small firearms, a large quantity of ammunition
and some important documents. Raids are still on to locate the
whereabouts of the Maoists," Kumar said.
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March 20
|
A CPI-Maoist
cadre, identified as Rajib Mahato was arrested from Ghiratakham
village near Jhargram in West Midnapore District. On interrogation
of the arrested cadre, Debdulal Mahato, the Police came to know
the whereabouts of Rajib and arrested him. Rajib was a close aide
of slain Umakanta Mahato, who was one of the prime accused in
the Gyaneshwari Express sabotage, in which 148 people were killed
(May 28, 2010),' ASP, (Operations) Mukesh Kumar said. Rajib used
to operate in Jhargram, Beliabera and Binpur areas of the District.
He was wanted to stand trial in several murders, including that
of a Police constable, The ASP said. He was involved in a shootout
in Kalaboni forested area, where Umakanta was shot dead by the
joint Forces on August 27, 2010.
|
March 21
|
The Union Government
has dispatched 30,000 Paramilitary Force personnel to West Bengal
to assist the local authorities in ensuring free, fair and peaceful
Assembly elections next month. The Central Forces have already
been deployed in sensitive areas including CPI-Maoist-dominated
West Midnapore District. "So far, situation in West Bengal is
peaceful. The Forces have been sent to ensure that the election
process goes peacefully," a Home Ministry official said. The six
phased election to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly begins
on April 18 and will end on May 10.
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March 23
|
A cadre of the
CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA was shot dead by suspected Maoist cadres
in the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District. SP, Praveen
Tripathi said Sambhu Mahato was killed reportedly after a dispute
over the distribution of extortion money among the Maoists and
PCPA cadres.
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March 24
|
The EC has informed
the State Government, that at best 660 companies of Central Forces
will be on poll duty in West Bengal. Another 560 companies will
be sent to the State in addition to the 100 companies already
deployed across West Bengal. During the first phase in north Bengal
on April 18, 500 companies will be deployed. The EC said 361 companies
of Forces will come from Assam and 200 companies from Tamil Nadu,
Kerala and Puducherry. Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh had sought
798 companies. Polls in Assam will be over on April 11. Forces
from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will be sent to north Bengal
after polls are over on April 13.
Restrictions on
the movement of passenger trains at night in the Maoist-affected
areas of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand will continue till
March 31, the South Eastern Railway (SER) said. "In view
of security reasons, running of passenger trains on Kharagpur-Adra,
Chakradharpur-Rourkela and Kharagpur-Tata sections will continue
to remain suspended up to March 31 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m,"
an SER release said.
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March 29
|
Seven suspected
cadres of the CPI-Maoist including three women cadres were arrested
by SFs in Kalsibhanga village in West Midnapore District. While
four of the arrested Maoists were wanted in connection with several
incidents of violence, Rita Mahato, Joshoda Mahato and her mother
Pushpa Mahato were arrested for sheltering the Maoists in different
areas under Salboni Police Station.
The SFs also arrested
six ruling CPI-M activists on the charge of committing atrocities
on tribals in the same village, Police added.
Some bombs and
explosives were also recovered from the village school of Kalsibhanga.
|
March 31
|
The Joint Forces
and West Midnapore Police Force personnel raided Bhumishole forest
in Lalgarh in West Midnapore District and recovered a cache of
arms left behind by CPI-Maoist cadres. The Maoists themselves
fled the forest just when the Joint Forces personnel came raiding.
The arms recovered include five pieces of landmine equipment,
bombs, a gun, wires, bulletproof jackets used by Police, splinters,
detonators and 20 kilograms of explosives.
West Midnapore
Police raided Kalsibhanga village in Salboni in the District after
being tipped off by the villagers. The farmers came upon the arms
when a farmer's cattle stepped on the part of a paddy field where
alleged ruling CPI-M cadres had buried those. Police had the area
dug and found two single shotter guns. West Midnapore SP Manoj
Verma said raids at both Salboni and Lalgarh were launched after
receiving tip-offs about the presence of arms in the areas.
|
April 2
|
A teacher was
shot dead by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres in West Midnapore District
of West Bengal. The slain teacher, identified as Prabodh Mahato,
was shot from close range when he was returning home after a bath
in a nearby canal. According to Pravin Tripathi, SP of Jhargram
sub-divisional municipality, Maoists and the Maoist-backed PCPA
were suspected to be behind the attack.
Some CPI-Maoist
posters protesting the killing of Maoist leader Sashadhar Mahato
and demanding withdrawal of Joint Forces from the forest areas
of three West Bengal Districts were found in many parts of Kolkata.
According to the Police, the posters were found pasted on the
walls of Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) Metro station. The
posters claimed that Mahato was killed in a false encounter and
accused SFs of attacking tribal people, said a Police Official.
|
April 4
|
Suspected cadres
of the CPI-Maoist killed a State Government employee and an activist
of the ruling CPI-M near Jhargram in West Midnapore District.
Mahato, a resident of Birihari village of Jhargram block, was
posted at Jhargram. According to SP of Jhargram Police District,
Pravin Tripathi, unidentified assailants pulled out Gagan Mahato
(42) from the vehicle he was travelling on to his office in Jhargram
town and fired at point-blank range. The Maoists are suspected
to be behind the killing as they are trying to create an atmosphere
of fear among people ahead of the Assembly elections," the
SP said.
|
April 7
|
A few posters
and banners of CPI-Maoist, urging the people to boycott the Assembly
Elections in the State were spotted at Kanchrapara railway station
in North 24-Parganas District. The Maoists urged the people to
shun the "vote-hungry political parties, who survive on false
promises". It requested the people to root out the ruling CPI-M
from the State, branding it as Fascist. The Maoists demanded immediate
withdrawal of the Operation Green Hunt from Junglemahal and other
states. It criticised the Government for torturing common people
in the name of counter-insurgency operations. The Maoists also
demanded a commitment from the TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee on her
promises of withdrawing joint operations in West Bengal and releasing
Maoist political prisoners.
|
April 9
|
The Joint Forces
during a combing operation arrested a cadre of the CPI-Maoist-backed
PCPA identified as Sanjay Mahato (22), one of the accused in the
Gyaneshwari Express derailment incident which killed 148 passengers
on May 28, 2010, from Jaljali village under Jhargram Police Station
of West Midnapore District. Jhargram ASP Mukesh Kumar said Sanjay
was picked up from house at Barobigha village in Manikpara Phari
during a combing operation. The CBI had announced a reward of
INR 50,000 for information on his whereabouts. "We have informed
the CBI about Sanjay's arrest," Kumar said.
|
April 11 |
A CPI-Maoist squad member, identified
as Kalu Mahato was arrested from Niharia village near Jhargram
in West Midnapore District. "Kalu Mahato was wanted for several
murders and landmine explosions at Kharbandi and Murakhati areas
of Jhargram. He will be produced before the Jhargram court on
Tuesday [April 12]," said Jhargram SP Pravin Tripathi. Acting
on a tip-off, the CRPF Battalion No. 184 raided Niharia forests
and arrested Mahato. Mahato, according to Police, is the member
of Maoist leader Goutam's squad. Police recovered one pipe gun,
three rounds of 8mm and 20 rounds of 12-bore cartridges, five
detonators and one challenger from him.
|
April 18 |
The Police recovered two decomposed
bodies, suspected to be killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in the
Jhargram region of West Midnapore District, four months ago. The
bodies were recovered on the basis of information received from
a Maoist squad member, who was arrested on April 14, according
to the District Police. "The decomposed bodies of two unidentified
persons were recovered from Bhandarbilla village after the arrested
Maoist, Parameshwar Roy, revealed during interrogation that two
persons were killed and buried at the spot by the Goutam Rana
squad around four months ago," Mukesh Kumar, ASP of Jhargram Police
District, said. Kumar pointed out that several persons in the
region were missing for months and a majority of such cases remained
unreported by the victims' family members fearing Maoist reprisal.
"We need to go through all the missing complaints to establish
the identity of the two bodies," he added.
|
April 26 |
The West Bengal Police arrested
a top cadre of the CPI-Maoist identified as Gautam Rana, an 'area
commander' of the Maoist squad, near Lodhasuli under Jhargram
Police Station in West Midnapore District.
|
May 1 |
A decomposed body of a person,
reportedly killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres, was recovered from
a forested area in Jhargram in West Midnapore District.
|
May 19 |
CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA wants to
resume the dialogue process with the State Government. Manoj Mahato,
former PCPA secretary said he trusts Mamata Banerjee, the new
Chief Minister of the State and wants to resume the dialogue process.
Restrictions on the movement of
passenger trains at night in the CPI-Maoist-affected areas of
West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand will continue till May 26, the
SER said in Kolkata. 'In view of security reasons, running of
passenger trains on Kharagpur-Adra, Chakradharpur-Rourkela and
Kharagpur-Tata sections will continue to remain suspended up to
May 26 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m,' an SER release said.
|
May 22 |
A fresh investigation was ordered
into the attack on a camp of the EFR at Silda in West Midnapore
District in February 2010, in which 24 troopers were killed after
the latest recoveries of illegal arms from Purulia village in
the same District, State Police officials said. "The arsenal number
on an INSAS rifle that has been recovered today matches with that
of one of the rifles looted in the Silda camp attack. So far we
had been suspecting that Maoists were involved in the Silda attack,
but now it seems that members of the CPI-M may have been involved,"
State DGP Naparajit Mukherjee told journalists. The INSAS rifle
was recovered in a police raid carried out at Purulia village
in West Midnapore. Police sources said that it was recovered from
a field about 1.5 kilometres away from the local CPI-M office.
"In the raid conducted in Purulia village, 35 weapons and 147
rounds of ammunition were recovered," District SP Manoj Verma
said, adding that an AK-56 was among the firearms recovered.
|
May 22 |
Maoist sources suspect that the
INSAS rifle snatched from the Silda camp last year and found near
a CPI-M office in West Midnapore's Enayatpur was taken away from
a Maoist killed in an encounter with the CPI-M.
|
May 23 |
The Union Government said that
the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government has its task cut
out to take action against "armed camps'' existing in the State
and reinstate law and order in such areas. Union home minister
P. Chidambaram said that some arms have been recovered from "local
CPI-M offices'', including the house of a known CPI-M supporter.
Chidambaram said since May 14, a day after the results of West
Bengal Assembly polls, the Police have conducted about 100 raids
and recovered 1,109 firearms and 11,088 rounds of ammunition from
West Midnapore District. He said over 140 people have been arrested.
While some arms have been recovered from CPI-M offices, some have
been shown "unclaimed".
|
May 28 |
The CPI-Maoist said that they
would consider a proposal for talks with the Mamata Banerjee Government
if the Chief Minister spelled out her stand on Junglemahal. "Immediately
after the swearing-in ceremony, Banerjee said she was ready to
hold talks to sort out problems in Junglemahal, but she did not
speak about specific plans," West Bengal State Committee members
of the Maoists Bikram and Bikas said in a faxed statement in Kolkata.
"If she creates a favourable situation, we are ready to consider
the proposal for joining talks," they said. The statement said,
"If she comes out with a definite plan on these issues we will
consider a proposal for talks with the government."
|
May 29 |
The West Bengal Government will
fill up 63,000 sanctioned vacant posts in the State Police, a
senior minister said. "The strength of the Police in the State
is 26,000, but there are 89,000 sanctioned posts. The Government
will fill up these posts and modernise the force," Industry and
IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said.
|
June 5 |
Police recovered the body of an
unidentified person near Kushaboni forest in West Midnapore District.
A CPI-Maoist poster saying the killing was in retaliation to the
killing of Sashadhar Mahato was found along with the body. It
also read that they will not spare anyone involved in the killing
of Mahato, be it the Police, SF personnel or informers. The Maoists
claimed the murdered person was a Police agent and hence he was
punished for being an informer.
|
June 14 |
A hub of the CRPF's CoBRA and
a training centre are being set up at Salboni in West Midnapore
District. The hub will be spread over 143 acres, Alok Raj, IG,
Operations, CRPF, said. "The land has been finalised and work
has begun", said Alok Raj.
|
June 20 |
Senior officials in the Security
establishment of the State feel there has been an ostensible "slow
down'' of the Security Forces' offensive against CPI-Maoist in
the State under the new Chief Minister. However, another official
overlooking the anti-Maoist operations attributed it to the changed
tactics of the Maoists, who are refraining from attacking the
Central and State Police forces. A senior official of the CRPF
confessed that the intelligence inputs provided by the State Police
have come down after the formation of the new Government.
|
June 22 |
The CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA cadres
are allegedly pushing workers of Trinamool Congress, the ruling
party, to quit the party in a bid to create pressure on the Mamata
Banerjee-led Government, Trinamool sources said. The PCPA wants
the Government to expedite the release of political prisoners
and push for withdrawal of central forces from Junglemahal, promises
that Mamata had made in the run-up to the Assembly elections.
Local Trinamool activists, who requested anonymity, said they
had been threatened in at least 20 villages of Jhargram, Salboni,
Sankrail and Kotwali areas of West Midnapore in the past three
weeks. "Maoist armed squad leader Badal Mahato travels with his
guerrillas at night and holds meetings. He tells villagers about
Mamata Banerjee's promises. He says if the promises are not kept,
they will wipe out Trinamool from Junglemahal," a Trinamool activist
said. A Dherua-based Trinamool leader said that on June 2, a local
PCPA leader had visited him at night and asked him to quit Trinamool
and join the PCPA. The PCPA leader is known to have Maoist links.
PCPA leader Manoj Mahato, however,
denied that Trinamool workers were being threatened. He said villagers
in Junglemahal were demanding that Trinamool deliver on its promises.
District Trinamool Chairperson
Mrigen Maity said: "We have received reports from our workers
in Jhargram, Salboni, Sankrail and Kotwali areas that they are
being threatened by Maoists and the PCPA. We will soon submit
a report to the state Trinamool leadership."
|
June 23 |
Two landmines suspected to be
planted by the CPI-Maoist cadres were found in the Simulpal area
under Belpahari Police Station of West Midnapore District. The
explosives were later defused.
|
July 1 |
CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA leader
Manoj Mahto, who was released on bail just prior to the West Bengal
Assembly elections in May, was arrested from his home at Birkar
village under the Lalgarh Police Station in West Midnapore District
on the charge of abduction of Jiten Mahato, a CPI-M leader.
|
July 2 |
The day-long bandh call
given in the three Junglemahal Districts of West Bengal to protest
the arrest of CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA leader Manoj Mahato evoked
partial response. While parts of the West Midnapore and Bankura
Districts witnessed partial closedown due to the bandh,
there was hardly any response in Purulia District. The bandh
was called by the Durnity O Samrajyobadi Agrason Birodhi Ganatantrik
Mancha (Democratic Platform against Corruption and Imperialistic
Invasion) - an outfit floated by members of the PCPA, just before
the State Assembly elections after they announced the 'dissolution'
of the PCPA.
|
July 3 |
The joint SF operating in the
CPI-Maoist-affected West Midnapore District recovered a cache
of arms belonging to the Maoists in an operation. "Acting on a
tip-off, a joint-team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
and the State Police conducted a raid in the forest area near
Auspal village. Four firearms, 10 rounds of ammunition, two landmines
and several explosive devices were recovered from the spot," Mukesh
Kumar, ASP (Jhargram) said. However, no Maoist was arrested during
the raid.
|
July 8 |
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
gave a call to the CPI-Maoist to lay down arms, saying her Government
was 'always ready' for talks.
Five companies of central forces
have been withdrawn from Junglemahal and sent to Andhra Pradesh
to control the Telangana agitation. At present, there are 35 companies
of central forces in Junglemahal.
Mamata Banerjee said that her
Government will release 46 prisoners who were arrested in connection
with different cases of political violence in the state during
the past few years.
|
July 9 |
A day after West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee invited CPI-Maoist to talk, Maoists said that CM Banerjee
would first have to create a congenial atmosphere for dialogue.
|
July 12 |
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
asked youths of Junglemahal area to lay down arms and return to
the mainstream.
|
July 13 |
The CPI-Maoist have rejected CM
Mamata Banerjee's dialogue offer to barter development with the
surrender of arms.
|
July 14 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres in West
Midnapore District have set one condition for not attacking supporters
of the CPI-M provided they should not work as Police Informers.
Akash, the secretary of the CPI-Maoist Bengal State Committee,
said: "We have decided to spare the lives of the CPM supporters.
They will not be harmed if they don't work as police informers."
|
July 15 |
The CPI-Maoist named Sudip Chongdar
alias Kanchan, Himadri Sen Roy alias Somen and Patit
Paban Halder, its three former state secretaries now behind bars
in West Bengal, to represent them in case the State plans to go
ahead with its proposed dialogue with the Maoists.
One villager was killed and SI
Rajat Choudhary was injured, in an encounter between the Police
and the CPI-Maoist cadres in Purulia District.
|
July 17 |
A CPI-Maoist leader identified
as Biren Mahato was arrested from a village near Jhargram area
in West Midnapore District.
|
July 21 |
The West Bengal Government decided
to create 6,900 posts in the State Home department, including
668 in Naxal-hit Jhargram Police District, and infrastructure
for three CBI courts.
|
July 22 |
CM Mamata Banerjee in order to
set for talks with the CPI-Maoist announced the release of two
top Maoist leaders, identified as Chandi Sarkar and Pradip Chatterjee.
|
July 25 |
As the West Bengal Government
plans the release of 52 political prisoners, including two top
leaders of the CPI-Maoist state committee, the Centre has warned
the State that Maoists continue to regroup and train cadre in
Jungle Mahal (West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts) area.
The list of 52 prisoners considered for release from the state's
jails include top Maoists Chandi Sarkar and Pradip Chatterjee,
arrested in 2005 and 2008, respectively, besides leaders of local
separatist outfits from Kamtapur and Cooch Behar.
|
July 26 |
The CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA and
other Maoist-backed organisations held rallies in Jhargram and
Kolkata where some of the activists burnt CM Mamata Banerjee's
effigies. They accused her of betrayal over her Government's failure
to release the PCPA leaders and withdraw joint forces from Jungle
Mahal.
In Kolkata, the Maoist sympathisers
clashed with Police who tried to prevent them from erecting a
"column" for the martyrs of the Singur-Nandigram and Jungle Mahal
movements at College Square. They demanded the immediate release
of all political prisoners. 12 members of United Student Democratic
Front (USDF), a Maoist sympathiser group, were arrested in the
protests that saw the chief minister's effigy being burnt and
a stretch of College Street blocked briefly.
In Jhargram, Belpahari and other
areas of West Midnapore, rallies were held for the "martyrs" by
the Forum Against Terror, Corruption and Imperialism, an
umbrella organisation of the PCPA, Jhargram Students Federation,
Nari Ijjat Bachao Committee (committee for protection of
women dignity) and others. The list of the "martyrs" included
top PCPA leaders Lalmohan Tudu, Sidhu Soren and Umakanta Mahato,
killed in encounters with the joint forces. Incidentally, the
day was the first death anniversary of Soren, a Maoist 'commander'
shot dead in 2010 in Goaltore forest area.
Police decided to intensify the
process of collecting "actionable intelligence" and regularly
update local Police Stations in Jungle Mahal with inputs from
adjoining Jharkhand to avert attempts by Maoists to disrupt peace
ahead of Independence Day (August 15) celebrations. Director General
of Police Naparajit Mukherjee discussed recent intelligence inputs
about Maoist leader Kishan and his reported plans of rebuilding
the rebel force with the help of former CPI-M leaders.
|
July 27 |
The elite anti-Maoist force CoBRA,
raised by the Centre, has been withdrawn from West Bengal, apparently
in the wake of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's push for peace
talks with the Maoists. Nearly 400 CoBRA personnel who operated
in the State have been sent to Jharkhand. Only a handful of CoBRA
personnel have been retained in West Midnapore District.
The Maoists sent a "letter" agreeing
to talks, provided some conditions are met. Earlier this week,
the Maoist State leadership had wanted to meet the Government's
interlocutors to know Mamata Banerjee's "mind" before articulating
their position on the chief minister's talks offer. The "letter"
is believed to have followed such an interaction, which could
not be independently confirmed from Maoist sources. It couldn't
also be ascertained if the overture was a collective decision
of the Maoist state leadership. The Government sources said some
of the conditions were release of senior Maoists lodged in Bengal
jails and leaders of the Maoist-backed PCPA, including Chhatradhar
Mahato. The Maoists have also stuck to their earlier demand of
withdrawal of "90-95 per cent of joint forces" in Jungle Mahal.
Following former CM Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee's refusal to accept security cover, the MHA warned
the State Government that it must take up the matter with him
as his life was under threat from Maoists.
|
July 28 |
Several primary school teachers
in West Midnapore's Jungle Mahal area have sought transfer in
the face of Maoists' "threats and extortion".
|
July 29 |
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee gave the "go-ahead" for talks with the CPI-Maoist after
receiving a "positive response" from the Maoist leadership to
the Government's peace initiative in Jungle Mahal. "The biggest
stake-holders in the peace process have responded positively along
with the others concerned. We have conveyed their demands to the
government and the chief minister has given the go-ahead to continue
our efforts to facilitate talks between the government and the
stake-holders,'' civil rights activist Sujato Bhadra, who heads
the panel of interlocutors, said after a meeting with Mamata at
Writers' Building (State Secretariat). "However, several rounds
of meetings will be needed to end the atmosphere of mistrust that
has been created since 2009,'' he added.
Six of the 18 teams of the elite
CoBRA force, engaged in operations against Naxals in the Junglemahal
area, have been moved to neighbouring Jharkhand. Earlier, it was
reported that nearly 400 personnel were withdrawn.
|
July 30 |
Asking the Maoists to "come back
to mainstream", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said they should
state whether they would like talks at the Political or administrative
level for which a venue could be fixed. She said that an empowered
committee was negotiating with Maoists in Jungle Mahal. She added,
"My government's priority is to resolve the issue through negotiations."
"Their (Maoists) movement is ideological. They don't believe in
democracy. But we do. I don't mind the ideological conflict. But
I mind atrocities on the common people. This should stop," Banerjee
further added.
|
August 1 |
The Centre cautioned the West
Bengal Government against releasing two CPI-Maoist leaders - Chandi
Sarkar and Pradeep Chatterjee - arrested in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
In a letter sent to the State Government last week, the MHA suggested
that the Trinamool Congress regime consult its agencies on the
other political prisoners being considered for release.
|
August 3 |
Top CPI-Maoist leader Koteshwar
Rao alias Kishan has again become active in Jungle Mahal
area (West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts), according
to intelligence reports. "Kishenji was present in more than one
meeting held in Lalgarh and adjacent areas in West Midnapore district
in the last half of June, in all probability on June 22 and 23,"
the reports said.
The CPI-Maoist held a meeting
in Balarampur in Purulia District and urged the people to rail
against the State Government for its failure to eradicate poverty
in the three Districts of Jungle Mahal (West Midnapore, Purulia
and Bankura).
|
August 4 |
A senior CPI-Maoist leader in
West Bengal has said for the first time that the Maoists are ready
to be part of any Government-appointed committee that would oversee
development work in Jungle Mahal (West Midnapore, Purulia and
Bankura Districts). "We want the new government to form a committee
to oversee development work in Jungle Mahal. We are ready to put
our representatives in that committee," said a statement by Akash,
the chief of the CPI-Maoist's Bengal chapter.
|
August 10 |
The TMC party is reportedly raising
armed squads in interior parts of Jungle Mahal (West Midnapore,
Bankura and Purulia Districts of West Bengal) to counter attacks
and extortion demands of the CPI-Maoist. Repeated incidents of
Maoists threatening local TMC MLAs, including Churamoni Mahato
and Srikanta Mahato, as well as attacks on state Western Region
Development Minister Sukumar Hansda, have forced the TMC leaders
to raise the squads. The armed squad raised by TMC leaders of
Jamboni and Belpahari area in West Midnapore is locally known
as 'Vairav Vahini'. Reportedly, the TMC has roped in PCPA
cadres as well as Sidhu Kanho Gana Militia cadres who joined
the TMC before the elections. The cadres are trained in handling
arms and they have started training local villagers. Armed forces
are being raised at Chandri and Baghjhapa in Jhargram, and Balidiha
in Jamboni. Sisir Adkhikari, Union minister and senior TMC leader
in charge of Jungle Mahal, said: "Maoists-backed PCAPA and militia
members have been attacking our party workers everyday and extorting
money. They have forcibly stopped political activities. We are
trying to revive our booth-level and block-level committees to
resist these attacks," he said, not specifying if they are armed.
|
August 11 |
CPI-Maoist cadres ambushed a CRPF
patrol party and injured three troopers at Lakshmanpur forest
in West Midnapore District, which is the first incident since
the Mamata Banerjee Government came to power in West Bengal and
expressed its willingness for talks to resolve problems. Police
claimed that four to five Maoists were also injured when the CRPF
personnel returned the fire and were believed to have been taken
away by the Maoists. The incident is being seen as a major setback
for the normalisation process with the new Government having already
taken peace initiative despite reservations from Union Home Ministry
and set up State Level Review Committee on political prisoners
and agreed to release 52 of them.
|
August 12 |
Renewing her appeal to the CPI-Maoist
cadres to give up arms and return to the national mainstream,
CM, Mamata Banerjee announced a fresh financial and rehabilitation
package for those who surrender in Calcutta. The package includes
a revised incentive for every weapon laid down, a monthly stipend
of INR 2, 000 for three years, a fixed deposit of INR 150,000
which can be withdrawn from the bank only after three years and
State assistance for future employment which could include jobs
provided by the Government. The CM said necessary instructions
had been issued by her administration for the release of 50 of
the 52 political detainees announced earlier.
|
August 16 |
CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA demanded
a probe into the deaths of its leaders in alleged fake encounters
during the Left Government's reign, the call apparently prompted
by CPI-M leader Sushanta Ghosh's arrest.
The Bengal Maoists seem to be
a divided lot. While a section of its leaders have advocated a
go-slow policy in dealing with the new Mamata Banerjee Government
the other section wants to step up agitation before the Trinamool
Congress strikes its roots in Jungle Mahal. While leaders like
'State secretary' Akash and Vikash have welcomed Banerjee's decision
to hold dialogue with the Maoist leadership, their jailed leaders
like Telugu Dipak have called for an intensified stir if the new
Government failed to keep its promise to release their jailed
comrades.
|
August 18 |
CPI-Maoist cadres lodged in different
jails in West Bengal are unlikely to be freed before the meeting
of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee in Kolkata on August 27. Mamata had announced that she
intended to release 52 political prisoners including two Maoist
cadres, but the Union Home Ministry had raised objections about
their release.
Suspected Maoist cadres injured
seven persons, including two TMC cadres and five of their family
members, at Bordanga village in Nayagram area of West Midnapore
District. At least 15-20 Maoist cadres went to the homes of Trinamool
activists Bhabani Bhaduk and Timir Dandapath, assaulted them and
their family members, and opened fire.
The Police arrested Rajani Barik,
a local CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA leader, when local TMC leader Ujjal
Dutta accused the PCPA being behind the attack.
SFs seized four landmines in West
Midnapore District after locals informed them about it. The personnel
of the CRPF seized them and later a bomb disposal squad was called
to defuse the explosives. The explosives were hidden near a bush
along with utensils.
|
August 22 |
CPI-Maoist cadres killed Tapan
Deswali, a supporter of the CPI-M from Tungbhedua village in Bhulabheda
area of West Midnapore District. Maoist posters claiming that
he was a Police informer were also found, Mukesh Kumar, ASP of
Jhargram, said.
|
August 24 |
CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA observed
a day-long bandh in the three districts of West Midnapore,
Bankura and Purulia in protest against the ruling party's alleged
violence against people in the region, the recent police raid
at PCPA's former convener Chhatradhar Mahato's house and to demand
immediate release of all political prisoners. Incidentally, the
bandh came the very day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tabled
her government's report card for the first 90 days where she claimed
to have been able to bring peace in the three Jungle Mahal Districts
through special packages for the development of the region.
About 10 CPI-Maoist cadres shot
dead Rabindranath Mishra, an activist of the ruling TMC party
at Dhangri under Jhargram Police Station area in West Midnapore
District. The Maoists had called for a 24-hour bandh in
Jungle Mahal area, alleging that the Janajagaran Manch was functioning
as a Government agency and had been engaged in thwarting the democratic
rights of the tribals.
A group of Maoist cadres lodged
in Krishnagar jail in Nadia District went on hunger strike demanding
repeal of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, release of political
prisoners, and withdrawal of central forces from Jungle Mahal
and quick disposal of cases.
|
August 25 |
The Jhargram Police arrested a
suspected Maoist, Sushen Routh, from Chandabila area under Nayagram
Police Station in West Midnapore District.
Expressing concern over Maoists
again assembling in certain areas of West Bengal, intimidating
people and even resorting to violence, which recently claimed
the lives of two persons in West Midnapore District, CM Mamata
Banerjee said that she still believed good sense would prevail
on them. "They can talk, discuss, negotiate, but murder is a criminal
offence," she said even as she welcomed those among them who wanted
to return to the national mainstream. "No one has the right to
murder," she emphasised.
The Chief Minister announced that
her Government would provide a compensation of INR 200,000 to
each of the families of the civilians whose kin were killed in
Maoist attacks to be supplemented with the INR 300,000 financial
assistance available from the Centre. "Besides this package for
civilian families, we are also considering providing either a
government job to a member or a monthly pension," Banerjee said.
Her Government was working towards
solving the problem of LWE through development and pursuing the
peace process, Banerjee said, adding, "I do not believe in the
politics of killing."
|
August 26 |
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
gave the go-ahead for talks with the CPI-Maoist, to the group
of interlocutors whom she had appointed for holding discussion.
Bringing the "main stakeholders to the discussion-table with the
government, is the main objective" civil rights activist Sujato
Bhadra, who leads the group of interlocutors, said.
|
August 29 |
The West Bengal State Committee
of the CPI-Maoist has written an open letter to Surya Kanta Mishra,
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, that suggests
the outfit's involvement in the "downfall" of the Left Front "from
Nandigram to Jangalmahal" and criticises the Left Front for its
opposition to the Maoists.
The Kolkata city Police launched
a fresh investigation into the recovery of 5000 rounds of .315-bore
ammunition at APC Road in June 28, 2010, where the trail led to
Chandrakona and Ghatal.
|
August 30 |
One contractor came forward to
submit tender papers for constructing a hostel and additional
class rooms in Jungle Mahal area (West Midnapore, Purulia and
Bankura Districts), which was the first major development initiative
by the new Government in the area.
|
September 1 |
Angry villagers set two motorbikes
of the CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA cadres on fire and vandalized a
Tata Sumo before pushing it into a pond when the PCPA cadres went
to Dhanguri village under Sankrail Police Station in West Midnapore
District to bring in villagers to a rally at Ramakrishna Vidyalaya
ground in Lalgarh and beat people who refused to attend the rally.
Some TMC party supporters have
been accused of attacking a bus driver and vandalising the vehicle
that was on its way to ferry people to the Lalgarh rally organised
by Maoist sympathisers.
|
September 2 |
Unable to give more weightage
to scheduled tribes while recruiting Police constables from Jungle
Mahal (West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts), the Government
has decided to recruit more number of Home Guards and National
Volunteer Force instead.
|
September 3 |
Three suspected CPI-Maoist cadres
were arrested from the Jhargram region of West Midnapore District.
The CPI-Maoist made a precondition
before they agree to any peace dialogue with the West Bengal Government
- disarm vigilante groups in the Junglemahal area comprising the
three Districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.
|
September 12 |
The Police arrested a Maoist-backed
PCPA leader, accused in a case of abduction of two Police constables
from the Lalgarh region in 2009, from Patharpara in West Midnapore
District. The constables remain untraced till date.
A Maoist, identified as Lakhikant
Mahato, was surrounded and handed over to the Police by the villagers
in Madhuban area in Jhargram subdivision in the District while
he was threatening locals with dire consequences.
|
September 13 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres assaulted
30-40 villagers in Mahatobandh village in Belpahari in West Midnapore
District after they refused to join the Maoist squad. One of the
villagers of was seriously injured in the incident. After the
Police reached the spot, the Maoists fled away to the neighbouring
Jharkhand, ASP Alok Rajoria said.
The CPI-Maoist appears to have
made a climb down from their stand of getting political prisoners
freed as a condition for talks with the Mamata Banerjee Government.
Bandimukti Committee convener Chhoton Das, who is also one of
the interlocutors appointed by the Chief Minister to mediate with
the Maoists in Jungle Mahal, said in Kolkata that the Maoists
are now insisting on two conditions: the operations by the joint
forces must stop and the private armed groups which have mushroomed
in Junglemahal in recent months must be disarmed.
"Maoists know that if talk's progress,
the release of prisoners would follow automatically," Das said.
Earlier, however, the Maoists had demanded release of prisoners
before the talks begin. About 10 members of CPI-Maoist are behind
the bars across the State, said Das. Sixty-six tribals are also
languishing in different jails for alleged Maoist links - 36 of
them in Midnapore jail, 21 in Bankura and nine in Purulia.
|
September 16 |
Some top cadres of the CPI-Maoist,
including State-level leader Akash, held a meeting at Salboni
in West Midnapore District where in the Maoists leaders warned
the villagers that if they accept the jobs of Special Police or
home guards, they will be trapped by the Government. Earlier the
Maoist cadres pasted posters in Belpahari and other parts of Jangal
Mahal warning villagers regarding applying for Special Police
and National Volunteers Force posts.
|
September 19 |
SFs got engaged in a gunfight
with suspected CPI-Maoist cadres in the dense forests at Ayodhya
Hills in Purulia District.
Normal life was affected by the
24-hour bandh called by Maoist-backed PCPA in Jungle Mahal
(West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia) area.
CM Mamata Banerjee is trying hard
to initiate a dialogue with Maoists and for that attempts are
on to rope in more interlocutors.
|
September 20 |
CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead a
local TMC leader in the Jhargram area of West Midnapore District.
People's Literary Cultural United
Forum said they will send a fact-finding team to Jungle Mahal
and hold a public meeting in Jhargram the day next.
Maoist sympathiser Vara Vara Rao
accused West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee of retracting from her
poll promises and said her party was raising another Salwa
Judum.
The Maoists have embarked on a
civic action programme in Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura,
running makeshift dispensaries and schools.
|
September 23 |
CPI-Maoist cadres recapturing
their lost ground in Jungle Mahal area (West Midnapore, Purulia
and Bankura Districts), senior PWD officials at Writers' Building
are apprehending trouble in implementing projects that are a part
of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Jungle Mahal package.
|
September 24 |
After back-to-back killings of
two TMC leaders by CPI-Maoist cadres in Jungle Mahal area, party
general-secretary Mukul Roy and Tamluk MP Subhendu Adhikari are
going to lead a 6-Kilometer rally in Jhargram to protest the killing
spree and demand that the Maoists re-join the often-protracted
negotiations with the Government-appointed interlocutors.
|
September 25 |
The founder secretary of Jharkhand
Janamukti Morcha, Babu Bose, was shot dead at Binpur in West Midnapore
District.
Five suspected Maoists - Kailash
Modok, Kinkor Modok, Gautam Modok, Jagat Mondal and Dipak Mandal
- were arrested by Arsa Police from Raheredi village in Purulia
District. Purulia SP Sunil Chaudhury said the five were arrested
for making threatening phone calls.
Mamata Banerjee claimed that the
Maoists wanted to kill her and union minister Mukul Roy, besides
other TMC leaders.
|
September 25 |
Governor M K Narayanan said the
Maoists had not responded to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's
offer for talks. "The Chief Minister has given them an offer for
talks but they have not responded," the Governor told reporters
on the sidelines of a function in Kolkata.
|
September 26 |
The Joint Forces and the Police
arrested a leader of CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA from Cherabani under
Binpur Police Stations in West Midnapore District. Police sources
said the arrested PCPA leader, Dilip Mahato, had links with the
Maoists.
CM Mamata Banerjee sent out a
stern warning to Maoists saying they can't remain janus-faced
and continue their killing spree while complaining about the state's
human rights violations and Police excesses. "The initiative for
talks can't go together with killings. You (Maoist) have to decide
the future course. Who has given you the right to kill? Those
who complain against police excesses as violation of human rights
should clarify whether their ghastly killings conform to human
rights," said Banerjee, whose rise to power started with the campaign
against the land acquisition in Singur, a cause Maoists also backed.
The State cabinet decided to
set up 20 centres that will train the tribal youths of Maoist-affected
Jungle Mahal region (West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts)
who will be recruited as special Police constables.
|
September 28 |
A day after asking the CPI-Maoist
to choose between talks and killing, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
called a meeting on September 29 with interlocutors whom she authorised
to explore avenues for dialogue with the Maoists in Jungle Mahal.
State secretariat sources said the meeting would be held at the
State secretariat to review the situation arising out of a spurt
in Maoist violence in the three Districts of West Midnapore, Bankura
and Purulia comprising Jungle Mahal.
|
October 1 |
The CPI-Maoist rejected CM Mamata
Banerjee's peace talks offer and demanded immediate withdrawal
of Joint Forces from the State. "We are serious about peace talks
and ready for a ceasefire. We had given specific proposals to
the two interlocutors on our first meeting. But the Government
has to stop anti-Maoist operations by the joint forces and show
willingness for peace," CPI-Maoist leader Akash said in an open
letter to CM Banerjee. He accused Trinamool Congress of resorting
to violence and extortion in the Jungle Mahal area. Akash said
although the State Government claims that the Joint Forces operations
are on hold, the Paramilitary is still carrying on the operation
of hunting down Maoists in a clandestine manner. "If the Government
is really keen on peace talks and want to create a congenial atmosphere,
it will also have to neutralise private gangs like Janajagaran
Mancha and Bhairav Bahini," the letter, a copy of which was made
available to the media, said.
|
October 2 |
Two landmines, believed to be
embedded with sensors, were defused at Saroa village in Salboni
area of West Midnapore District. Local villagers said while one
was spotted on a culvert, the other was lying barely 300 meters
away from it. Police said the joint operation is already under
way and such a tactic by the CPI-Maoist to cause collateral damage
can't be ruled out in the near future too. The place where the
mines were placed is an important transit point for the forces
and is frequented by villagers. Police later launched a search
operation and recovered 10 sacks full of sulphur and sodium nitrate
from Kendudanga village under Sankrail Police Station.
Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres abducted
the son of a TMC leader in the Banspahari area of West Midnapore
District. However, the youth was later found by CRPF personnel
from a nearby forest on October 3.
The Union Home Ministry has asked
the West Bengal Government to relieve more than 1,000 CAPF personnel
in an apparent message that the authorities were not making proper
use of them for anti-Naxal operations.
|
October 4 |
The CPI-Maoist said that they
would restrain use of arms for one month if the Government suspended
joint operation in Jungle Mahal to create a congenial atmosphere
for talks.
The West Bengal Government said
that it would await a formal communication from Maoists before
responding to the one-month ceasefire offer made in a joint statement
by its leader Akash and interlocutors Sujato Bhadra and Chhoton
Das.
Mamata Banerjee is reportedly
unhappy with the Maoists for having gone public with a statement
offering ceasefire without informing the Government about it but
she is willing to hear out their case.
|
October 8 |
The interlocutors appointed by
the West Bengal Government seem convinced that the CPI-Maoist
is serious about pursuing ways to bring peace to the region.
Three of the six teams of the
CoBRA which were sent to Jharkhand in July, will be returning
to the State shortly. Soon after their return, they will be deployed
in Jungle Mahal area.
SFs arrested Bhagwat Hansda,
central committee member of the Maoist-backed PCPA in a combing
operation in Binpur on October 8. Two CRPF battalions were scheduled
to be withdrawn this month. But it was stalled following a request
by the State.
|
October 10 |
"We are engaged in full-scale
operations against Maoists in Jangalmahal," said a senior Police
officer at Writers' Building, the state secretariat, on condition
of anonymity.
|
October 12 |
The CPI-Maoist slammed the State
Government's move to recruit 10,000 Police constables from Jungle
Mahal and termed it as a "conspiracy hatched by Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee".
|
October 14 |
In a statement purportedly issued
by the State CPI-Maoist leadership, the seriousness of the West
Bengal Government over holding peace talks with the outfit has
been questioned.
|
October 15 |
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
gave CPI-Maoist a seven-day deadline to lay down arms, saying
violence would not be tolerated any more. "I am giving you (Maoists)
a seven-day ultimatum to lay down guns. Think over it. We will
not tolerate any more violence.
The West Bengal Government has
sought additional two battalions of CAPF from the Union Home Ministry,
indicating that it was getting ready to launch full-fledged operations
against the CPI-Maoist. Official sources said the request came
on the eve of CM Mamata Banerjee giving a seven-day deadline to
the Maoists to lay down arms, saying violence would not be tolerated
any more.
|
October 16 |
A day after West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee's seven-day ultimatum to the CPI-Maoist to choose between
guns and negotiation, Maoist posters were seen in Jungle Mahal
threatening the TMC leaders of dire consequence if their pre-poll
promise of withdrawing joint SFs and releasing jailed extremists
was not kept.
|
October 18 |
Within 48 hours of
CM Mamata Banerjee's seven-day ultimatum to the CPI-Maoist to
lay down arms and come to the negotiating table, joint Police
Forces and Maoist squads exchanged fire at the Banksole forest
in West Midnapore District. It was an "intelligence based operation".
The police seized a .303 rifle, 10 live cartridges, three empty
cases, a detonator and Maoist literature and transistors, said
Gaurav Sharma, SP, Jhargram.
When asked if there
was any mandate from the government to launch such an operation
when the Chief Minister had given a seven-day ultimatum to the
Maoists, Alok Rajoria, Additional SP (Operations), Jhargram said:
"If there is an armed movement, we have to operate." Vivek Sahai,
IG, CRPF said, "We have no order to restrict our operations. The
operations are on."
The confrontation
came on a day the CM talked to Government-appointed interlocutors
at Writers' Buildings to discuss the peace process with the Maoists.
In Kolkata, chief interlocutor Sujato Bhadra said after the discussions
with Mamata Banerjee that "the dialogue process is on and will
continue". According to sources, during the closed-door meeting,
the CM is said to have asked the interlocutors to get a written
statement from a Maoist central committee member that during the
peace process, there will be no killing in Jungle Mahal and display
of armed action.
CM Banerjee held
a meeting with Maoist interlocutors and asked them to convince
the Maoists to give a written undertaking saying that they (Maoists)
will surrender arms and stop killing innocent people in Jangalmahal.
But the Maoists on October 19 made it clear that they have no
confidence on the chief minister's initiative to hold talks with
them to bring back peace and normalcy in the region. Maoist state
secretary Aakash said the bandh "has been called to give a befitting
reply to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's refusal to address the
issues we have raised for development of Jangalmahal."
The Centre has extended
its support to West Bengal Government, when needed, to deal with
Maoist menace. "The Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is competent
enough to handle the situation and as and when she requires support,
we will extend that," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
|
October 19 |
The CPI-Maoist called
for a 24-hour bandh in Junglemahal area on October 22, the day the
deadline given by CM Mamata Banerjee to the Maoists ends. The bandh
will be held in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura Districts, adds
Zee News. "Make the bandh in Junglemahal on Saturday a success against
the injustice meted out to the people of the area," Maoist state
committee secretary Akash, said in an open letter. Akash, also the
Maoist spokesman, alleged the State Government was "unleashing terror"
in the name of peace in Junglemahal. |
October 20 |
SFs recovered 37
brand new gelatin sticks in Gurishole forest at Kanta Pahari,
while patrolling in West Midnapore District. "Around 5 am today
[October 20], the security forces, with the help of sniffer dogs,
found the gelatine sticks under a heap of dried eucalyptus leaves,"
a CRPF officer said.
A suspected CPI-Maoist
cadre was arrested from near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's
residence in South Kolkata. The alleged Maoist, identified as
Prakash Acharya is a resident of Lodha Suli in West Midnapore
District. He has five murder and three landmine cases against
him. However, Acharya claimed that he had gone to Chief Minister's
residence to surrender. The Police sources said that he was being
interrogated by the Kolkata Police and STF.
|
October 22 |
Security personnel
recovered a landmine hidden in a container in Jhargram area in
West Midnapore District.
West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee's seven-day deadline to the CPI-Maoist to disarm expires.
Bengal Labour Minister Purnendu Bose, assisting the CM on tackling
the Maoist menace, told TOI, "If the ultras (Maoists) deny
people their right to life, the government won't sit quietly.
We still want a dialogue with them. But, joint operations will
be conducted when required." Meanwhile, security has been heightened
across Junglemahal areas. Six CRPF battalions, one each of CoBRA
and Nagaland Police battalions are deployed in Junglemahal areas.
The State Government
asserted that it was still open to talks with the rebels. "In
a democracy, there must be some options open. We can discuss,
we can negotiate…If they [the Maoists] listen, it is good," said
Banerjee in New Delhi while referring to the left-wing extremists
as "brothers and sisters." The Chief Minister's remarks come at
a time when there are distinct signs of the joint Security Forces
preparing for a fresh and sustained offensive against the rebels
in the Jangalmahal region after a lull in operations since the
Trinamool Congress-led Government assumed power on May 20, 2011.
Schools and colleges
stayed open and markets were crowded in most parts of Jungle Mahal
despite a Maoist bandh call, with senior officials describing
the people's defiance of the rebels as unprecedented. In a double
blow to the guerrillas, hundreds of youths from the Maoist zones
of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore queued before Police Stations
to collect job application forms, answering a recruitment call
by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It prompted a Senior Police
officer to wonder if "change" was in the air. "It may be too early
to say," He added cautiously, "but what we are witnessing today
is very promising."
|
October 23 |
Two Maoists allegedly
involved in putting up posters against Western Region Development
Minister Susanta Hansda, were arrested from their homes at Grithokham
village in the District. The two arrestees identified as Khokan
Mahato alias Debang and Biswajit Mahato were also accused in cases
of murder, attempt to murder, putting up road blocks and setting
ablaze houses. In another incident at Goaltore, several hand written
posters of the Maoists were found by the joint forces demanding
release of Maoist prisoners, withdrawal of joint forces and resignation
of TMC MLA and leaders from Jungle Mahal area, the Police said.
According to the posters, the Maoists highlighted that pre-poll
promises were not kept by the State Government. Setting two specific
demands, the Maoists called for the removal of Joint Forces and
also demanded the list of 52 political prisoners to be released,
which Mamata Banerjee had announced a few months ago. The Police
have removed the posters and patrolling by joint forces has been
intensified in the area.
Union Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee said a special package for the Maoist-hit areas
of West Midnapore had been finalised. "The chief minister has
requested that such funding be extended to two more Jungle Mahal
areas (Purulia and Bankura). I will speak to the Union Home Minister
(P. Chidambaram) about this," he said in Calcutta.
|
October 24 |
The team of interlocutors appointed
by the West Bengal Government to explore the possibility of peace
talks with the CPI-Maoist submitted a note summarizing the discussions
the interlocutors had with both the sides since it was formed
in July. The note was sent to the Government and the State leadership
of the CPI-Maoist.
|
October 28 |
The peace talks between the West
Bengal Government and the CPI-Maoist came to an end with the Maoists
calling them "misleading and senseless". A letter from CPI-Maoist
state secretary Akash to Sujato Bhadra, the leader of the six-member
team of interlocutors, says the "peace talks" referred to by Mamata
Banerjee Government frequently did not make any sense.
Security Forces recovered a powerful
landmine suspected to have been planted by Maoists in the Jhitka
forest along the road leading to Lalgarh from Binpur in West Midnapore
District, a short while before TMC MP Subhendu Adhikari and party
local MLA Srikanta Mahato were to pass by. Besides the landmine,
300 metres of electric wire, three detonators, a few iron balls
and some gelatine sticks were also recovered from the area.
|
October 29 |
Sports minister Madan Mitra said
that former India skipper Ravi Sashtri had agreed to the State
Government's proposal to set up cricket coaching camps in Junglemahal
and the Darjeeling hills.
|
October 30 |
After the CPI-Maoist rejected
her talks offer, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opened
another channel to convince them to come to the negotiation table
to settle the Jungle Mahal issue amicably. Union Minister of State
for Shipping Mukul Roy will hold talks with the wife of arrested
PCPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato, Niyati, and some other officials
of the organisation in Kolkata on November 3. Apart from Niyati,
the secretary of the Santras Birodhi Committee (anti-terrorism
committee) Ashok Jiban and Nari Ijjat Bachao Committee (Committee
for Women Upholding Dignity) Jyotsna Mahato will also join talks
with Roy for talks at the Nizam Palace in Kolkata. During November
3 meeting, the secretary of the All-India Legal Aid Forum and
a Supreme Court advocate Joydeep Mukherjee will be a mediator.
|
October 31 |
A Maoist, Shibnath Mahato, wanted
in connection with several criminal cases, was arrested from Ergoda
in West Midnapore District. Mahato was a Maoist action squad member
and had links with the PCPA.
|
November 1 |
A landmine was found near to the
place where TMC MP Subhendu Adhikari was scheduled to address
a rally in West Midnapore District.
Addressing the rally, Adhikari
said the West Bengal Government is determined to drive out armed
men Maoist-infested areas in Jungle Mahal and bring back peace.
|
November 2 |
A Maoist, identified as Prashanta
Mahato, was arrested by joint forces from Ghritokham village under
Jhargram sub-division in West Midnapore District. Prashanta belonged
to the action squad led by Jayanta and was involved in the murder
of five persons including a CPI-Marxist worker in the District.
The leaders of PCPA, who had earlier
agreed to hold peace talks with the West Bengal Government, made
a volte face and refused to come to Kolkata to have a dialogue
with Union minister of State for shipping, Mukul Roy.
|
November 4 |
A local TMC leader, identified
as Jitu Singh Sardar, was killed by Maoists in Balarampur area
of Purulia District. The victim was an active member of the committee
to resist anti-development activities in Jungle Mahal area. After
this incident, Mamata Banerjee said she would review the decision
of suspending anti-maoist operations.
Following the abduction of some
ration-dealers in Purulia and Bankura by suspected Maoists for
agreeing to distribute rice at INR 2 a kilogram among the tribals,
the State food and supplies department has decided to use Police
cooperatives for distribution.
|
November 5 |
Police arrested Joydeb Mahato,
spokesperson of the Maoist-backed PCPA, from a village in Jhargram
in West Midnapore District. Mahato, who is wanted in 11 murder
cases, is believed to have played a pivotal role in mobilizing
support for the PCPA over the last year or so, and played a binding
role in its organizational set-up. Maoist literature and IED-making
material was found from his possession.
|
November 6 |
Maoists fired at a TMC rally in
Jhargram's Masangdihi village and injured one party worker. The
rally was taken out to mobilise support for party MP, Subhendu
Adhikary's November 12 rally near Jhargram. A motorbike, few Maoist
posters, a pistol and four IEDs were found at the forest nearby
during the combing operation following the attack.
A husband and wife duo, Durjodhan
Rajkowar and his wife Lalita, members of a Maoist squad operating
in the Ayodhya Hills of Purulia District surrendered before the
District Police.
|
November 10 |
The Mamata Banerjee Government
gave the green signal for operations against the CPI-Maoist in
Jungle Mahal. The CMO issued the order to for an all-out assault.
Senior officers have been told to target senior leaders and the
chief minister has sought immediate results, said an official.
Police sources said an IPS officer
would be posted at each sensitive Police Station in the Maoist
belt. The CMO has allocated land for permanent bases of central
forces in Jungle Mahal and requested for the recall of the CoBRA
commandos sent to Jharkhand after the anti-Maoist operations were
stalled in West Bengal. The process of recruiting fresh IPS officers
in the Maoist-hit West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia has started.
Pushing for development in Maoist
strongholds, Union Minister Rural Development Minister Jairam
Ramesh will be visiting Jungle Mahal along with CM Mamata Banerjee
to assess the situation in the Maoist hotbed and prepare an action
plan for the area.
|
November 10 |
SFs detected three landmines,
suspected to have been planted by the Maoists, at Labhadhara area
in West Midnapore District. A large number of Maoist posters were
also found in the area, they said. The discovery of landmines
came ahead of TMC MP Subhendu Adhikary's scheduled anti-Maoist
rally in Jhargram on November 12, with Labhadhara lying enroute.
Ahead of CM Mamata Banerjee's
visit to Purulia and Bankura Districts, Police arrested two suspected
Maoists from the Ghatghora area in Purulia District. They are
believed to be part of the Ayodhya Hills Squad of the CPI-Maoist,
the Police said.
The IB reported that 11 TMC political
leaders - including ministers, an MP and MLAs - are on the Maoist
hit list. The State Government has now decided to enhance the
security of all those who figure in the list.
The six-member interlocutor team
appointed by CM Mamata Banerjee to bring the Maoists and the West
Bengal government to the negotiating table wanted to quit their
job.
|
November 11 |
The SFs arrested four persons,
including Maoist leader, Somen Maity who is the 'area commander'
of Lalgarh and Salboni, in a raid conducted at a village in the
Salboni Police Station area of West Midnapore District. Of the
three others apprehended during the raid, one person was arrested
for providing shelter to the Maoists and the others are Maoist
cadres. Five weapons that had been looted during the attack at
Silda - an AK-47, a carbine and three INSAS rifles -- were among
the weapons recovered during the operations. The Police have also
recovered seven improvised firearms.
The CPI-Maoist State Secretary
Akash advised Singur's farmers to reoccupy the plots taken away
from them during the Left Front Government to set up the Tata
Motors Limited car factory. CPI-Maoist also asked the State Government
to distribute 5,000 acres of land, earmarked for the Jindal Steel
and Power Ltd's project at Salboni in West Midnapore, among local
farmers and declare the area a no industry zone.
Addressing a public rally at Balarampur
of Purulia District, CM Mamata Banerjee told the people, "you
shall get whatever you ask for, provided you don't support the
Maoists".
|
November 13 |
Asit Mahato, one of the prime
suspects in the Jnaneswari Express derailment that claimed 149
lives on May 28, 2010, was arrested from a village in the Salboni
Police Station area in West Midnapore District.
Police arrested a suspected Maoist
cadre, Banwalli Patar alias Banna, from his house in the
District. A DBBL rifle was found at a spot near his house. Patar
is suspected to be an active member of the Jayanto squad and was
wanted in connection with the abduction of Madan Mahato, a resident
of the same village.
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November 14 |
Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were
killed and two SF personnel of the 10th Naga Battalion got seriously
injured when SFs ambushed a Maoist group of about 15 persons,
including some women, while it was fleeing Ghatbera after killing
two TMC supporters at Ghatbera in the Balrampur area of Purulia
District. The gun-battle continued through the night till early
November 15. The encounter signals the launch of a fresh offensive
in the Jangalmahal area after nearly five months.
An armed Maoist squad raided a
village in Balrampur in Purulia District and shot dead a 63-year-old
retired school teacher Ajit Singh Sardar and his 22-year-old son
Baku. Both the victims were supporters of TMC.
Banerjee said the security agencies
had been asked to step up operations against underground Maoist
outfits operating from Kolkata hideouts and their support bases
in the city. She said her Government was ready with a blueprint
for action against certain NGOs that were actually aiding and
abating Maoists. "A number of Jadavpur University professors are
also involved," she said.
The West Bengal State secretary
of the CPI-Maoist, Akash, in a statement said that the "time for
mutual ceasefire is over", as the Government did not come up with
any concrete proposal for peace initiative.
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November 15 |
The CPI-Maoist shot off a letter
to the interlocutors appointed by Mamata Government, proposing
a four-month ceasefire.
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November 17 |
CPI-Maoist 'commander', Jagori
Baske and her husband and comrade Rajaram Soren, called on West
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at the State Secretariat after surrendering
before the Police. Jagori Baske was reportedly involved in the
Silda camp killing in 2010. While the duo had first discussed
their surrender with the District Police in Purulia, they surrendered
before the IG, Intelligence Branch, and desired to meet the CM.
SFs carried out combing operations
in Jhargram, Lalgarh, Belpahari, Binpur and Nayagram areas in
West Midnapore District. One SLR rifle and explosive powder used
in making land-mines were recovered from Purnapani area between
Lalgarh and Salboni, Police said.
Maoist leader, Akash threatened
that the TMC MP Subhendu Adhikary will be punished in the Peoples'
Court (kangaroo Courts). "Like the previous Government, Trinamool
is also trying to wrest power at gun- point and creating an undemocratic
and suffocating atmosphere in the State," said Akash.
One of the interlocutors appointed
by the State said that they will meet the CM on November 19 to
explore the possibility of resumption of talks with the Maoist.
Earlier, the interlocutors had, in a letter to the CM on November
16 had expressed their desire to be relieved of the responsibilities
assigned to them by the State government in view of the recent
developments in the Jangalmahal area.
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November 18 |
Two Maoists, Sanjay Das and Parasuram
Das, were arrested from Sonachura and Gangra villages in East
Midnapore District. The arrested Maoists were involved in the
killing of the two TMC workers in Balrampur of Purulia District
on November 14 and in the killing of Nandigram-Sonachura gram
panchayat Pradhan Nishikanata Mondal in 2009.
In the wake of intelligence reports
stating that West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and ten
senior leaders of the TMC were featured on a Maoist hit-list,
Banerjee said in Kolkata that she was aware of "a joint-conspiracy"
against her, but did not want to "name any names". "I have received
information that there is a joint-conspiracy. The names I am not
mentioning, the people can guess who they are," she said.
State Food & Supplies Minister
Jyoti Priya Mallick said that Maoist posters threatening his life
had been found in the lobby outside his office. "They could not
paste the posters. So they scattered them in the lobby and ran
away," Mallick said, adding that eleven posters had been found.
The posters demanded "the head of the Food Minister".
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November 19 |
One of the two joint SF personnel
injured in an encounter with CPI-Maoist cadres in Purulia District
on November 15 succumbed to his injuries.
SFs recovered a huge cache of
weapons during anti-CPI-Maoist operations in West Midnapore District
over the past week. The haul included nine guns that were taken
away by the Maoists in an attack on a camp of EFR at Silda, Police
Officers said. Operations were conducted in the Kotwali, Lalgarh
and Salboni Police Station areas. "We recovered 11 sophisticated
weapons, nearly 250 detonators, 786 rounds of ammunition, 200
kilograms of explosives and over 30 land-mines," SP, Pravin Tripathi
said. The combing operations in the Jangal Mahal region would
continue in the coming days.
Police arrested Maoist-backed
PCPA member Nirmal Mahato (35), from his home in Nalbora village
in Jhargram area for playing a key role in holding up Bhubaneswar
Rajdhani in 2009. He was produced before a Jhargram court and
remanded to five days in police custody
The six Government-appointed interlocutors
for talks with the CPI-Maoist in Jungle Mahal, who had wanted
to be relieved of their responsibilities, were requested to continue
their parleys by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. "The chief minister
has requested us to continue the peace process and we have accepted
it," Sujato Bhadra who heads the team of interlocutors told reporters
after a meeting with the CM.
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November 20 |
Rabi Mandi, a member of a Maoist
squad, operating in Purulia District, surrendered before the Police.
Mandi admitted that he had been part of the Ayodhya squad for
the past one-and-half to two years and was involved in killings
as well as an encounter with the SFs in September 2011.
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November 21 |
The Police arrested two persons,
Kajal Mahato from Rangametia village of Nayagram and Kalipada
Mahato from Birihand village of Jhargram, for their alleged links
with the CPI-Maoist. Jhargram SP, Gaurav Sharma, claimed that
Mahato was involved in the firing incident at Masangdihi village
on November 7.
The West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee
warned organisations glorifying the CPI-Maoist that the Government
would take action against them anytime as there are provisions
in Central Acts that empower the Government to act against persons
seeking to glorify Maoists or any other rebel group.
Maoist posters criticising increase
in salaries of MLAs in the State were seized by Police from Nayagram
and Goaltore towns of West Midnapore District. The Maoists also
warned Police informers would have to pay "the ultimate penalty".
Several Maoist posters were found
at different parts of Nayagram block where Maoists asked villagers
to drive out Trinamool activists. "Trinamool is the new form of
the Left Front government. Drive them out," said the posters.
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November 22 |
The Police arrested Pranabesh
Mahato, a youth, who allegedly had played a key role in the murder
of Trinamool Congress leader Rabindranath Mishra in Jhargram on
August 25, 2011.
1,000 SF personnel raided Lalboni
village in Binpur Police Station area of West Midnapore District
in an operation that was launched after receiving information
that two CPI-Maoist action-squad leaders were camping there.
One rifle, 16 rounds of ammunition
and detonators were seized in the raid made by SFs in the Borihati
forest in Jamboni Police Station area of the District. One 9 mm
pistol was also found from the Laboni jungle in Belpahari Police
Station area.
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November 23 |
The West Bengal Government made
another appeal to the Maoists to lay down arms and return to the
mainstream. "Those who are taking up guns and killing people should
return to the mainstream and keep faith in democracy, which is
the only alternative," Commerce and Industry minister, Partha
Chatterjee said at a party rally to condemn Maoist violence.
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November 24 |
The CPI-Maoist Politburo member
Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji, the man who controlled
Maoist operations in eastern India, was cornered and killed in
a massive security operation after a two-hour gun battle in Kushaboni
forest in Jhargram on the West Bengal-Jharkhand border in West
Midnapore District.
The operation that netted Kishanji,
who has repeatedly eluded such dragnets in the past three years,
began in the night of November 22.
The Security Forces searched for
Kishanji's trusted aide Suchitra Mahato, wife of slain Maoist
leader Sashadhar Mahato, who was with him during the encounter
and is believed to be injured in the encounter.
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November 26 |
The body of slain CPI-Maoist politburo
member Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji was identified by Maoist
sympathiser Varavara Rao. Deepa, the daughter of Kishanji's elder
brother Anjayelu, also identified the body of the slain Maoist
leader.
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November 27 |
The call for a two-day bandh,
called by the CPI-Maoist in protest against the killing of Mallojula
Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji 'in a fake encounter' in the
afternoon on November 24, in Burishole in West Midnapore District
had no impact in the State except for closure of some shops in
Jhargram area in the District.
A landmine, possibly planted by
the CPI-Maoist cadres, was recovered from a market in Goaltore
in West Midnapore District.
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November 28 |
Five of the six civil society
members appointed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
to bring the CPI-Maoist, to the dialogue table withdrew themselves
from the job, citing unfavorable conditions in Jungle Mahal in
West Midnapore District. This has come four days after CPI-Maoist
Politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji was killed
by the SFs on November 24.
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November 30 |
SFs stepped up their operations
and tracked down the hideout of a top CPI-Maoist 'commander",
Ranjan Munda, in Nayagram block of West Midnapore District.
The joint forces are still looking
for the injured Suchitra Mahato. The discovery of a woman's decomposed
body in Jamboni's Kanaisole forest triggered speculation for a
while but it was not Suchitra's, say sources.
An 'area commander' of the CPI-Maoist,
identified as Barun Das alias Surya, surrendered in Birbhum District.
Surya was in-charge of the Dubrajpur-Khairashol-Kanksa area in
Birbhum.
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December 4 |
The first day of a two-day bandh
called by the CPI-Maoist in protest against the killing of Polit
Bureau member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji evoked
a partial response and passed off peacefully in the Jungle Mahal
region of West Midnapore District.
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December 6 |
The second day of the Bharat
Bandh called by the CPI-Maoist protesting the killing of top
Maoist leader Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji evoked a lukewarm response
in the State.
Governor M K Narayanan said, "The
killing of one leader will not end the (Maoist) movement. We hope
it will be a setback for the movement. Wait and see."
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December 7 |
Fearing retribution from Maoists
for Kishanji's killing in an encounter on November 24, doors of
Police Stations in Kolkata are being bolted from within by 11.30pm
[local time] and opened not before 6.30am. "We have received intelligence
inputs that the Maoists, in retaliation to Kishanji's death, will
try to carry out strikes on police forces in and around Kolkata.
So, all our units must be on full alert. We have to be extra careful
in the present situation," Shibaji Ghosh, special commissioner
of Kolkata Police, said.
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December 8 |
Chunaram Soren, hailing from Patharpara
of Goaltore in West Midnapore District, surrendered before the
court claiming him-self to be a squad member of CPI-Maoist. Soren
claimed that he was close to the slain Maoist leader Mallojula
Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji. Police, however, did not
corroborate his claim.
SFs have started a quiet hunt
for Venugopal Rao, elder brother of slain Maoist leader Kishanji,
"somewhere inside the forests of Belpahari" in West Midnapore
District.
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December 14 |
The West Bengal Government invited
engineering major Larsen & Toubro to set up a thermal power plant
of 700-800 MW capacity in the CPI-Maoist-affected West Midnapore
District. "We have offered L&T land at Goaltore to set up a power
plant," CM Mamata Banerjee said, adding that preliminary talks
have been held with the company in this regard.
Rebutting allegations that top
Maoist leader Kishanji was killed in a "fake encounter", Mamata
Banerjee said the SFs took time to confirm his death as they had
no idea that the senior rebel leader was in the Burishole jungle
area at the time.
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December 16 |
Three CPI-Maoist cadres, identified
as Jagannath Tudu, Shibil Soren and Lakshikant Mahto, were arrested
from Kaliam village in Binpur area in West Midnapore District.
The three were cadres of the 'China squad' but the nomenclature
has nothing to do with the neighbouring country, the sources said.
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December 20 |
Even after the killing of top
CPI-Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji,
the Maoists still have the men and firepower for retaliatory strikes
in West Bengal, according to an intelligence report sent to the
Union Home Ministry. The SIB - a central intelligence agency -
report details the status of Maoist squads active in Jungle Mahal
(West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia Districts) and other Districts
after Kishanji's death in an encounter on November 24. According
to the report, nine Maoist squads with more than 100 members are
active in West Midnapore and Purulia Districts and all members
are being given firearms. The biggest among these is Purulia's
Ayodhya squad, with nearly 40 members.
The report lists the Maoists as
having 30 sophisticated firearms including five AK-47s and five
INSAS rifles, apart from a host of other weapons. "As per our
information, Maoists at present are suffering from an ammunition
crisis. But they do not have a shortage of firearms. Kishanji's
death is a major blow to the Maoists. They are taking time to
absorb it. But at the same time, they are preparing themselves
to strike back. We are keeping a watch on the situation," said
Banibrata Basu, ADG of state intelligence branch.
The Maoist squads in Belpahari,
Jhargram East, Jhargram West, Jamboni, Binpur, Nayagram and Lalgarh
are active in West Midnapore District. Among these, Belpahari
is the biggest, with more than 20 members under the leadership
of Madan Mahato.
A squad member of the CPI-Maoist
surrendered at a court in Jhargram in West Midnapore District.
"Subodh Hasda, known in his squad as Cheena, has surrendered at
the Jhargram court today [on Tuesday]," said State IG (Western
Range) Gangeshwar Singh. Senior police officials said Hansda is
close to Maoist leader Suchitra Mahato and Sachdev, and his surrender
is important to the Police. At least eight Maoists who have been
active in the Jungle Mahal area have surrendered over the past
few months.
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December 24 |
A young woman CPI-Maoist squad
member, Raimoni Soren (20), was arrested from her village in the
Lalgarh Police Station area in West Midnapore District for her
alleged involvement in Maoist activities.
Four persons associated with Maoist
activities surrendered at the Berhampore Police Station in Murshidabad
District. "The four persons were accused in a case of sedition
registered in 2010. They are also close associates of Kambit Sarkar,
a key local Maoist leader," said B.L. Meena, SP.
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December 26 |
The SFs recovered landmines kept inside a village
pond by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Jhargram sub-division in West
Midnapore District. The Police and CRPF personnel jointly commenced
the search operation and recovered eight directional landmines
kept inside a pond by Maoists, were noticed by some villagers
who had gone to take a bath.
Acting on a tip off, SFs raided Karma village
of Balarampur in Purulia District and arrested a Maoist squad
member identified as Gostho Gope, Purulia Police said. The interrogation
revealed that the Maoists were planning to eliminate members of
anti-Maoist forums at Karma village.
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December 27 |
Following the revelation made by Gostho Gope,
in a following raid, the Police arrested three other Maoist squad
members in Jhargram sub-division in West Midnapore District.
In a separate raid the Police arrested Bimal Mahato
alias Mithun, a cadre of Maoist-backed PCPA from Kalaboni
village of the District. The Jhargram SP confirmed that Mithun
was wanted in several cases which included a case of sedition.
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Note:Compiled from news reports and
are provisional.
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