Maoist Major Incidents 2010

Bihar

February 13: Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist and a Police officer were killed in an encounter at Manjhiawan village under the Konch Police station of Gaya District. The killed Police officer, Mithilesh Prasad, was the officer-in-charge of Tekari Police Station.

February 17: At least 12 villagers, including three women and one child, were killed when nearly 150 heavily-armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked Phulwariya village in Jamui District of Bihar. Four of a family was charred to death while others were shot dead. Those killed were Kora tribals and the attack was in retaliation of the alleged killing of eight Maoists by the Koras on January 31 at the instigation of one Lakhan Kora, suspected by the Maoists of being a Police informer. The Maoists triggered explosions and also set 30 houses ablaze. The whereabouts of Lakhan are not known. While the Police say he survived the attack, this could not be confirmed from local sources.

Chhattisgarh

January 9: Four CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with a Police party comprising the CoBRA and the Koya Commandos at Surpanaguda area near Jagurugondo in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. Superintendent of Police Amrish Misra said that one 12 bore gun and three muzzle loaders were recovered. All the four were in uniform and suspected to be members of the Jagarugonda area committee of the outfit. There are two women among the four Moists killed.

January 11: The SFs shot dead three CPI-Maoist cadres during an encounter in the Bijapur District. The forces also recovered a large number of guns, 10 kilograms of two tiffin bombs and Maoist literature from the possession of the slain Maoists. The officials said that the encounter continued for around two hours in the forests of the region. "Three Maoists were shot down by us in the forest of Bijapur in an encounter, which took place between 11:30 to 12:30 in the morning. We also recovered huge number of guns, tiffin bombs from them," said Bijapur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Singh. He added that the SFs went into the area following a tip off that the Maoists were in the forests. The Maoists opened fire and were eliminated in the retaliatory action by the SFs. "According to the initial reports that we have, it is possible that there were around 35 to 40 Maoists who were present in the forests, but they ran away after hearing the firing," the SDPO added.

January 19: 13 CPI-Maoist cadres and one Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group) activist were killed in a firing between Maoists and the Police in the dense Pareshgadh forest area, near Andhra Pradesh border, of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh. On a tip off that a plenary camp of 150 Maoists was being held in the forest area, the Chhattisgarh Police along with Special Armed Commandos swung into action and surrounded the camp and asked them to surrender immediately. However, the Maoists opened fire which the Security Forces retaliated. 13 Maoists and a Salwa Judum activist were killed in the firing which began after midnight of January 18 and continued till the morning of January 19. Two Police personnel were also injured in the incident. According to Bijapur Superintendent of Police Avinash Mahanti, the dead bodies of Maoists were yet to be identified. He added that most of the Maoists escaped into the forest soon after the exchange of fire began. The Police also recovered kit bags and Maoist literature from the incident site. IANS, however, quoted him as saying, "A contingent of District Force (DF) and Special Police Officers (SPOs) exchanged heavy gun fire with Maoist ultras in a thickly forested area. Several Maoists were killed but no body was recovered as the other ultras dragged the bodies deep into the forests. The casualty figure of ultras may be up to 12. We arrested two rebels as well but lost a SPO in the battle while two other SPOs received gunshots..."

February 3: Eight CPI-Maoist cadres were shot dead by the Police in two gun-battles in Bijapur District. Seven Maoists were killed in forest under Bhairamgarh Police Station when SPOs raided a hideout. Another cadre was gunned down under Bijapur Police Station area.

February 7: Five CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in a Police encounter in Narayanpur District. The encounter took place at the forest area of Honganar in the District.

February 17: A group of 50 cadres and supporters of the CPI-Maoist dragged two villagers out of their house and killed them in Kanker District suspecting them to be Police informers. The victims were identified as Kuller Singh (70) and Aghanu Singh (50), both residents of Gudbel village.

Jharkhand

January 15: Six Police personnel and a civilian were killed and one Policeman went missing when the CPI-Maoist cadres blew up their vehicle in the Gumla District. The Maoists ambushed a truck, in which the Policemen were on patrol, by triggering a blast near Gurdari mines when the vehicle was returning to Bishunpur Police Station, Inspector General of Police V. D. Desmukh said. Assistant Sub-Inspector Shaym Kumar Sinha and the truck driver were among those killed, he said.  The others included havildars and constables, he said, adding, one Policeman was missing.

Orissa

January 23: Four civilians, including two women, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by CPI-Maoist in the Narayanpatna block in Koraput District. Nine personnel of the Special Operations Group and two civilians were also injured in the landmine blast.

West Bengal

January 2: Three CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA cadres were killed at Joynagar near Lalgarh in West Midnapore District after Security Forces opened fire on a PCPA rally. Bijoy Mahato (38), Bhola Mahato (43) and another PCPA cadre died on the spot. The SFs recovered the dead bodies from the stretch between Joynagar and Chhenraboni village in Lalgarh. Trouble broke out in the afternoon when Police got information that armed Maoist cadres were forcing villagers of Radhanagar, Sevayatan and Baita to join the rally. Telegraph adds that when a 200-strong SF approached Joynagar village, nearly 1,000 people blocked their path. "The Maoists used the villagers as shields and hid themselves behind," said Superintendent of police Manoj Verma. While being surrounded, officers saw through binoculars extremists with AK-47s in the village. When the Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, the Maoists started firing. After the firing stopped at 5pm, Bijoy Mahato (24) and Bhola Mahato (43), were found dead. Rakhal Rana (45) died later. The Police said they were "wanted" Maoists. Meanwhile, Indian Express quoting Police sources put the death toll at five. "We have recovered three bodies, but we believe at least five Maoists have been killed," said Manoj Verma.

February 15: At least 24 Security Force (SF) personnel, mostly belonging to the Eastern Frontier Rifles were killed and several others injured when a large group of CPI-Maoist cadres attacked a SF camp at Silda in West Midnapore. The Maoists triggered several blasts before opening fire on the SF personnel. Before leaving, the Maoists looted firearms and set the camp ablaze. One civilian died of splinter injury the next day taking the death toll in the incident to 25.