Maharashtra Timeline 2014

Date

Incidents

January 7

Gondia District Police took a RFO into custody for supplying materials to the CPI-Maoist from a rest house at Navegaon Bandh area in Gondia District.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed two villagers at Kishtapur in Gadchiroli District.

Seven CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with Maharashtra Police near Alitola village in Gadchiroli District.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a man, identified as Lalsu Dasru Kumoti (65), at Manewara village in Etapalli tehsil of Gadchiroli District.

Maharashtra Police succeeded in reducing the effects of Naxalism in Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur Districts of the State, said Governor K Sankaranarayanan.

A band of CPI-Maoist cadres killed a villager, identified as Channu Madavi in Kuthegaon village in Dhanora sub-division in Gadchiroli District.

CPI-Maoists attacked a Police outpost in Hedri village in Etapalli tehsil in Gadchiroli District. They threw hand-grenades and opened fire at the newly established outpost.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a resident of Kothi village in Gadchiroli District after labelling him as a Police informer.

One Police Constable, identified as Giridhar Atram, was killed and five others were seriously injured when the CPI-Maoist cadres opened fire on a Police team in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. The incident took place when a team of Jimalgatta Police Station, was rescuing the polling party of Dambrancha polling booth at around 1 pm, said Gadchiroli Police.

Three members of a radical music group, Kabir Kala Manch, who were arrested in April, 2013 for their alleged role in supporting and funding LWE activities in Maharashtra, will continue to remain in jail, with the Bombay High Court rejecting their bail pleas.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed one of their former comrades, Vitha Kulmethe (41) at Jimulgatta weekly market in Gadchiroli District.

A group of over 50 Maoists set ablaze vehicles deployed for construction work on Dechlipetha-Jimalgatta road near Dechlipetha village in Jimalgatta subdivision of Gadchiroli District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres axed a Police trooper, identified as Lalsu Pungati and then shot him dead from close range in a weekly market in Gyrapatti village in Korchi tehsil of Gadchiroli District.

Maharashtra Police arrested a Delhi University Assistant Professor for his alleged links with CPI-Maoist after questioning him more than four times in the last six months.

Seven C-60 anti-CPI-Maoist Police Commandos were killed and two critically injured when Maoists blew up a Police vehicle under Chamorshi division of Gadchiroli District.

Maharashtra Police claimed that there was no lapse in the SOP on the part of the anti-Naxal squad or the Gadchiroli Police in the May 11 incident where seven C-60 Commandos were killed in a landmine attack by CPI-Maoist cadres in Murmuri forest area under Chamorshi tehsil of Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

Investigating agencies probing Delhi University Assistant Professor G N Saibaba, who was arrested on May 9, for his alleged CPI-Maoist links, have reportedly extracted some e-mails and information from his computer that suggests he recruited at least one more student from JNU as a "professional revolutionary" to work in Chhattisgarh. The student who is described as "Goswami" in Saibaba's correspondence with his close confidantes was once a member of Democratic Students' Union, a students' organisation in JNU. "We arrested Saibaba after procuring a non-bailable warrant against him. A chargesheet has been filed in the case where he has been named as an accused," IGP Ravindra Kadam, anti-Maoist operations, Maharashtra Police, said.

The top leadership of the CPI-Maoist directed the cadres to carry out attacks on SFs as a retaliatory action against the arrest of G N Saibaba for his alleged Maoist links, UMHA has said. In an advisory to nine Maoist-affected states, UMHA said the CPI-Maoist, while publicly denying that Saibaba is a senior member of the organisation, has instructed its armed cadres, especially in Dandakaranya region, to carry out retaliatory strike against SFs.

A Juvenile Justice Court acquitted two youngsters who were arrested by Pune ATS on May 12, 2011, for alleged Naxal-links.

The Maharashtra Government decided to give promotions to Policemen doing outstanding work in CPI-Maoist affected Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia and Chandrapur Districts.

Three years after being arrested for carrying books authored by architect of Indian Constitution Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, CPI-M-L founder late Charu Mazumdar and late political theorist Suniti Kumar Ghosh, Mumbai-based activist Sudhir Dhawale was acquitted by a court on the grounds that the literature seized were freely available and even taught in universities. Dhawale was taken into custody at the Wardha Railway Station in January 2011 while he was returning from 'Ambedkar-Phule Sahitya Sammellan' (Literature Festival), under the UAPA on charges of having nexus with CPI-Maoist.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed former zilla parishad member Bapu Talande on Alapalli-Sironcha Road in Aheri tehsil near his native place Nimmalgudam in Gadchiroli District.

IGP, Nagpur Range, Ravindra Kadam, has said the arrest of Delhi University Assistant Professor G.N. Saibaba has proved yet again that the Naxalites are spreading base in urban areas.

Four suspected CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead Ghissu Mattami, a NCP functionary and former member of the Ettapalli Panchayat Samiti in Gadchiroli District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a former colleague, Jeetu Madavi at Belgaon village in Dhanora tehsil in Gadchiroli District.

The Gadchiroli Police neutralised a powerful IED in Kasansur village of Etapalli tehsil in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

A suspected CPI-Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

The Gadchiroli Sessions Court rejected the bail plea of G.N. Saibaba, the Delhi University Assistant Professor, arrested for his alleged connections with the Maoists.

CPI-Maoist military wing units have been undergoing training in the forests of Abujhmad, extending from Chhattisgarh's south Bastar region to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, to develop skills to escape air raids, if launched by the SFs in the future, intelligence sources said.

June 25

Gadchiroli Police evacuated two revenue officials with full security drill in view of an alleged Naxal threat following allegations of corruption against them in recruitment of "kotwals", who are village-level revenue officials in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

June 26

A detailed circular, issued by the 'western regional unified command' of CPI-Maoist, has alerted its cadres that SFs were using chemical weapons against them and also trying to get their food poisoned.

June 27

Constable Umesh Jawale, attached to the QRT of a SDPO, was killed in an exchange of fire with CPI-Maoist cadres in the forest of Gyarapatti in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said changes would be made in the Naxal surrender policy in the State, in order to ensure progressive and peaceful life of the surrendered Naxals. As many as 15 surrendered ultras were felicitated at the programme and were also given sewing machines, ration cards and cheques for their rehabilitation.

Two Sub-Inspectors of Police (SIs) of the Sawargaon Police Station were injured when a group of about 40 to 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres opened fire in Dhanora tehsil (revenue unit) in Gadchiroli District.

The Maharashtra State Government announced cash rewards up to INR 10 million for providing information about Naxals.

Two suspected CPI-Maoist cadres, identified as Krishna Thakur alias Raju (35) and Sonu Katenge alias Dasrath (25) were killed in an encounter with Police in Khobramenda forest in Kurkheda block in Gadchiroli District.

The Maharashtra State Government announced a cash reward of INR 10 million to anyone giving crucial information leading to the arrest of CPI-Maoist 'general secretary' Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi. INR Six million will also be given to the person who provides any information about any 'politburo' and 'central committee' members of the Maoist group.

The Maharashtra State cabinet cleared proposals to hike the financial assistance to surrendered CPI-Maoist cadres and also form two empowered committees to hasten the developmental projects in the Maoist-affected zones. The empowered committee has been sanctioned INR 500 million to carry out the works initially. INR 2 million, INR 1.8 million, INR 1.6 million will be given respectively to 'politburo', 'central committee' and 'regional bureau' members. INR 1.5-1.8 million will be given to members of 'state committees' and 'special zonal outfits'.

The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court rejected the bail plea of Delhi University Assistant Professor GN Saibaba in a CPI-Maoist-related case, but granted bail to former journalist and Human Rights activist Prashant Rahi, a co-accused in the same case.

The city unit of the Maharashtra ATS arrested an alleged urban operative of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Arun Bhanudas Bhelke (38), from the Kasewadi slums in the Bhavani Peth area in Pune District of Maharashtra.

September 15

Dhanora Police of Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra arrested a senior CPI-Maoist leader, identified as Jethuram Dhurwa alias Raju during an anti-Naxal operation along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. Raju, 'commander' of Aundhi LOS, had a cash prize of INR 1.6 million on him announced by the Chhattisgarh government.

Despite heavy setbacks in the recent past, the Police said, the CPI-Maoist is expected to make every possible attempt to disrupt polls in Gadchiroli District during upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections, making 'liberal use' of IEDs and ambushes. Gadchiroli SP Sandip Patil said, "We have already started aggressive area domination. We are not allowing the Naxal bid to move in large numbers together and have foiled such attempts six times in the past 40 days. The latest was in Kasansur last week, where we foiled one such congregation bid by 40-50 Naxals and have recovered a lot of material, including a few walkie-talkie sets."

A poster of the CPI-Maoist, threatening against use of schools as polling booths in Gadchiroli District for upcoming State Assembly elections, was recovered by the Police in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. The Naxalites have also, as usual, appealed to people to boycott the elections through the poster.

The wireless communication wing of the Maharashtra Police has been grappling with severe staff crunch as nearly 60 per cent technical hands have retired in the last few years and not a single person has been recruited since 2004.

The Maharashtra State committee of the CPI-Maoist has urged for boycott of the assembly elections on October 15 over the separate Vidarbha issue. The Maoists have claimed that the four prominent political parties, including Congress and BJP, have opposed the century-old demand of statehood for Vidarbha, and this warrants a boycott of the polls as a mark of protest. A press release by the secretary of the Maharashtra state committee of CPI-Maoist claims that Shiv Sena has openly opposed the issue of statehood for Vidarbha while others like Congress, NCP and BJP have refrained from taking a stand only to mislead the masses. The Maoists have appealed to the electorate to use boycott to punish parties for the injustice to Vidarbha.

Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra witnessed polling in three Assembly segments under heavy security cover, amid a boycott call by the CPI-Maoist.

The CPI-Maoist cadres triggered a landmine blast and attacked a polling party in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. Maoists opened fire on a Police team providing security to a polling party near Makkepalli forest in Chamorshi block in the District in which a Police constable suffered minor injuries during the encounter.

SFs neutralised a land mine planted by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Yelchil village between Etapalli and Alapalli in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra minutes before buses carrying polling officials were supposed to pass the stretch potentially saving several lives.

SFs recovered land mines at Pendri and Aldandi in Etapalli taluka under Aheri constituency in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

After repeated exchange of fire near Tadpalli forest in Etapalli taluka during October 15 Assembly polling, the CPI-Maoist cadres once again targeted the SFs as road opening exercise was underway near Gatta in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra for polling officials from the interiors returning in buses.

The Police arrested a senior CPI-Maoist cadre and three others while they were trying to plant mines to target Sursundi polling booth in Dhanora tehsil in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

'Five top CPI-Maoist cadres, including a teenaged girl, who carried a total reward of INR 2.6 million on their heads, were arrested during a three-day operation from October 21 to October 23 in Maharashtra. Those arrested have been identified as 'commander' Dunga Yesu Bapu Teka (30) - carried a reward of INR 1.2 million - was heading platoon number five, 'section commander' of platoon number four Manas Sonare Sainu Tarami (21) - carried a reward of INR Eight lakh - local supplier Raju Vishnu Naitam carried a reward of INR Two lakh, 'commander' of platoon number three Vasant Rejiram Pathiram Wadde (21) carried reward of INR Two lakh, and woman Maoist cadre Rupi Suman Gawade (16), who is alleged to be a local 'committee member' also carried a reward of INR Two lakh.

Hem Chandra Mishra, a student of JNU in New Delhi, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Police in 2013 for alleged CPI-Maoist links, has accused the Police of "inhumanly torturing" him in custody. Mishra is currently in Nagpur jail of Maharashtra.

The CRPF battalions deployed in Maharashtra's Naxal-affected Districts are now being moved to Bastar region in Chhattisgarh. The Maharashtra Districts will now be manned by ITBP personnel who are already present in the contiguous district of Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. According to the report, it is being done to ensure seamless coordination between forces across State borders and maintain a single command chain in any given area in the LWE-affected zones.

A former CPI-Maoist 'commander', identified as Gopi Niriasai Darbari Madavi, carrying a cash reward of INR 1.2 million on his head, surrendered before Police in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. Madavi belonged to Korchi dalam in Gadchiroli District and was involved in as many as 18 encounters in and around the District.

CPI-Maoist's Maharashtra 'state committee' in a press release, signed by Sahyadri - who is believed to be Milind Teltumbde, a top Maoist operative, asked Dalits to form groups for eradication of caste and launch 'stiff resistance' to condemn the killing of three persons from a Dalit family in Javkhed Khalsa village in Pathardi taluka of Ahmednagar District on October 21. He has further compared the Pathardi incident with Khairlanji Dalit killings in Bhandara District of Maharashtra in 2006. Unidentified persons had brutally murdered and chopped into pieces Sanjay Jagganath Jadhav (42), his wife Jayshree (38) and their only son Sunil (19). The press release has asked the Dalits to come out on roads and give a "tit-for-tat" reply for the killings.

The CRPF deployed in Gadchiroli District will soon be replaced with the ITBP. The process of withdrawing the CRPF battalions has already begun following which the deployment of ITBP troopers will commence. Both the processes will be completed within a span of six months, CRPF Western Sector's IGP Sanjay Kaushik said. This will enable the ITBP troopers, some of whom are from Maharashtra, to get closer to their families.

60 mobile towers will be installed by BSNL in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia Districts of Maharashtra over the next 12 months. The mobile towers will be installed at secure locations like police stations, out-posts and revenue tehsil offices, which enjoy 24x7 Police protection. "Thirty seven towers will be installed in Gadchiroli, 17 in Gondia and six in Chandrapur district. We hope these towers will help improving communication," a senior IPS officer posted in Gadchiroli said.

A head Constable of the Gadchiroli District Police has been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty after a CPI-Maoist cadre identified as Ranjit alias Chandrika Jethuram Raut (45), who was arrested by the Police escaped.

A couple, identified as Jaggu alias Yeshwant Tulavi (23) and his wife Rina Hemlata Panchu Puda (22), belonging to the CPI-Maoist Tipagarh dalam in Gadchiroli District surrendered before the District Police.

Three members of the CPI-Maoist 'Triple K' squad, identified as Dalsuram Parasram Kachlam (21) alias Jalher, Tulsiram Parsu (20) alias Rishi alias Sukhlal and Kashiram Eitu Koretti, surrendered before Gondia District SP Shashi Kumar Meena.

Maharashtra Government has decided to allocate INR 640 million to four LWE-affected Districts in the Vidarbha region to fast-track their development. Under the IAP to develop tribal and backward Districts in LWE-hit areas, the Centre will provide a total of INR 1200 million for 2014-15, to be distributed equally among the four Districts of Vidarbha.