Maoist Major Incidents 2011

January 1: At least five CPI-Maoist cadres, including three women, were killed in an encounter with the Police in Jajpur District in Odisha. Police personal and two teams of the anti-Maoist Special Operations Group raided a CPI-Maoist camp in the forested area of Jajpur. "Huge catch of arms and weapons have been recovered, including two country made guns and eight rifles," IGP Sanjeev Marik said.

January 8: 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 West Midnapore District in West Bengal on January 7. This revelation came on a day when the State Government said that Police reports indicated the presence of Maoists and PCPA cadres in the violence there.

January 9: Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs at Hurlum forests in Hazaribagh District in Jharkhand. The killed Maoists were identified as ‘zonal commander’ Praven Manjhi alias Phulchand, ‘sub-zonal commander’ Dharmendra Mahto alias Deo Dayal Mahto and ‘area commander’ Prasant Kumar Singh of a hit squad of Zilga zonal commander Naveen Manjhi. Three rifles, including two semi-automatic ones, more than 100 live cartridges, a torch, cell phone batteries and chargers and INR 45, 000 in cash were found with them. A gas cylinder was also seized.

Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including four women, were killed in an encounter with the District Voluntary Force and D-CAT, a special team of Rayagada Police in Rayagada District in Odisha. The gun-battle took place in Dabramali village in the remote hilly region of Bhamramali under the Kashipur Police Station limits of the District. Police recovered nine bodies from the encounter spot. Weapons and explosives, including three .303 rifles, two pistols and one INSAS rifle were seized.

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 in West Bengal. 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.

January 28: Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs at Luhur forest in Latehar District in Jharkhand. "Nine bodies of the Maoists were recovered after the encounter at Luhur forest under Barwadih Police Station," Latehar SP Kuldweep Diwedi said. Police recovered arms and ammunition from the incident site.

January 30: Around 10 to 15 cadres of the PLFI, earlier known as the JLT and a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, abducted three youths identified as Alok Sahu, Mahabali Sahu and Bhola Sahu and subsequently killed them by slitting their throats in Hulsu village on the outskirts of Ranchi District in Jharkhand.

February 11: At least three cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including an 'area commander', were killed in an encounter with the SFs in Sundargarh District in Odisha. Bodies of three Maoists were recovered after the gun battle, they said, adding one of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Musleem, 'area commander' of Maoists in Digha and Jareikela areas in Jharkhand. An American rifle, a 9-mm pistol, large quantity of cartridges and volumes of Maoist literature, including leaflets and posters, were recovered from the encounter site.

Three persons, including a woman, were killed in an explosion at Manatu in Palamu District in Jharkhand. "The explosion took place at Sarguja village when the victims were producing landmine and can-bombs in the house of Birju Turi, an alleged sympathiser of the CPI-Maoist," DSP Surdarshan Mandal said. The three persons, including Birju's wife, were killed on the spot, he said, adding that the identity of the two victims was yet to be established.

February 26: Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were reportedly killed by SFs during an encounter that lasted over five hours in Majidih village in Banka District in Bihar. DGP Neelmani said two self-loading rifles, another rifle, four magazines and 210 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the hideout. Three of the Maoists were in Police uniform, he said. From the six bodies, the Police identified one of the Maoists as Golu, a self-styled ‘area commander’ in the Banka region, wanted in several cases of violence. He was considered a terror in eastern Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, the Police said. The other five are yet to be identified by the Police. However, the Police arrested one Maoist cadre identified as Deven Tudu, a resident of Kaithavaran, which is close to Majidih village, about 250km from Patna.

February 28: Three Policemen, including an Assistant Sub Inspector, a Head Constable and a Home Guard, were killed and four others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Chatra District in Jharkhand. The explosion occurred when a jeep carrying seven Policemen, who were returning after a search operation, drove over the landmine at Lakrai More in Tandua area. The Maoists also seized the weapons from the Policemen before escaping.

March 13: Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed and one SAP personnel identified as Shiv Sharan Yadav was injured in an encounter between the SFs and a group of over 100 Maoists in Dharmaha village under the Kalyanpur Police Station in East Champaran District in Bihar. The bodies of all the six CPI-Maoist have been recovered while eight other CPI-Maoists, including three women, have been arrested. SFs have also recovered 14 weapons comprising five SLRs, eight Police rifles and one .315 rifle, besides explosives and ammunition from the spot, the DGP added.

March 14: The Police claimed to have killed 30 CPI-Maoist cadres in an encounter in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh after an ambush by the Maoists killed three Policemen dead and nine others injured.

March 15: Five CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in a gunfight with SFs in Khunti District in Jharkhand. "Five guerrillas have been killed in a gun battle. Our men saw that Maoists took away the dead bodies of their comrades," a Police Officer said.

April 19: SP Viresh Prabhu confirmed the death of a top CPI-Maoist leader Nagesh alias Shankar Tukka Pungati (38), 'commander-in-chief' of North Gadchiroli-Gondia division, along with two other Maoist cadres identified as 'platoon party member' Manglu (17) and PLGA member Manju (17) on the basis of Maoists pamphlets recovered from Malewada Village in Kurkheda Taluk in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra.

May 3: 11 SF personnel were killed and nearly 40 injured when CPI-Maoist cadres set off landmines in an ambush in Lohardaga District in Jharkhand. After a tip off about Maoists having assembled there, the CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar, JAP and DAP personnel went to Urumuru village, but returned after not finding anyone. While the SFs were returning from Urumuru the Maoists ambushed them at Dhardhariya hills under Senha Police Station in the District.

May 5: A landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres killed six persons of a family, including a five-year-old boy, on Gadchiroli-Rajnandgaon road near Tavitola village in Dhanora Police Station limit in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. Gadchiroli SP S Veeresh Prabhu, said, "It is very shocking the way Naxals LWE didn't bother to check on their target before triggering the blast." Naxals are learnt to have followed up the blast with constant firing on the victims.

May 15: Five cadres of the PLFI, a break away faction of the CPI-Maoist were shot dead reportedly by Maoist cadres at a wedding ceremony in Loki village at Raidih in Gumla District in Jharkhand. The victims were identified as Gurdev Oraon, the bridegroom, and his father Cheta Oraon (50), while the others were identified as Jairam Oraon, Samar Oraon and Budu Oraon, the Police said. Two other cadres sustained injuries but managed to escape, sources said.

May 16: The four persons of a family were killed by the cadres of the PLFI, a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, at Dakeya village in Okba panchayat under Basia Police Station in Gumla District in Jharkhand. The PLFI cadres tied their hands and took to Karisokra forest where their throats were slit. They also fired five rounds at the incident site. The Maoists were led by Rajendra, Arjun Mahli, Gobardhan and Bale, ASP Shanni Tigga, SDPO C K Sinha, said.

May 17: Five CRPF troopers, belonging to the 2nd battalion, were killed and two others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Borguda village on National Highway 221, six kilometres away from Sukma town in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh.

May 23: Nine Policemen, including the ASP of Gariabandh block in Raipur District, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist in Sunabeda forest in Nuapada District in Odisha. May 19: Two SPOs and one constable were killed when two C60 teams on a search operation from Tadgao post in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra were attacked by Naxalites. The Police claimed to have killed around eight to 10 Naxals; however, the Police could not recover the dead bodies.

June 2: Three CPI-Maoist cadres were killed and as many Policemen were injured in a gunfight at Murhu in Khunti District in Jharkhand. The gunfight ensued when a group of Maoists attacked a Police escort party at Murhu to snatch rifles from them near a bank, IGP S. N. Pradhan said. Pradhan did not rule out the possibility of Maoists' plan to loot the SBI branch. Police said, that about 30 Maoists were involved in the attack and managed to take away three rifles of the injured policemen before fleeing the spot.

June 6: A group of cadres of the PLFI, a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, led by it 'sub-zonal commander' Mangal Nagesia shot dead three persons, said to be Maoist supporters, at Jamgai village of Gumla District in Jharkhand. The victims were identified as Gandura Oraon, Sukra Oraon and Somnath Oraon. The incident is suspected to be a revenge killing as five of PLFI cadres were killed by Maoists during a marriage reception function at Loki village, about half a kilometre from Jamgai on May 15.

June 9: The CPI-Maoist cadres opened indiscriminate fire near the camp of Chhattisgarh Armed Force in Narayanpur District, killing four troopers and leaving another injured. The Maoists also decamped with two weapons of the troopers, the senior officer said. Later the injured CAF trooper succumbed to his injuries taking the death toll to five.

June 10: The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up an anti-landmine vehicle, killing 10 SF personnel - seven SPOs and three police constables - and injuring three others at bridge near Gatan village in Katekalyan area in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh.

June 11: Three CRPF personnel were killed when a group of 250 cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the CRPF camp at Bhejji village in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. ADGP Ram Niwas claimed 10 Maoists were killed in the encounter, but their bodies were taken away by the Maoists.

June 26: The Maoists blew up an SUV near Kirandul in Dantewada District, 6 kilometres from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, killing three Policemen and injuring three others, said Ramnivas, the ADG (Naxalite operations). One Policeman is missing.

Two BSF troopers of a patrolling team were killed on the spot, ambushed by around 300 Maoists in Kanker District in Chhattisgarh, while one Maoist was killed in retaliatory firing.

July 1: At least three CPI-Maoist cadres were killed when SFs, including CoBRA personnel, attacked Maoist 'zonal commander' Ajay Mahto's 35 cadre-strong squad at a place between rugged hills and dense forests near Telaiya village in Hazaribagh District in Jharkhand. After the Maoists fled, a combing operation in the area yielded INR 6.90 lakh in cash, a large numbers of uniforms, utensils, food grain, medicines, a 9-mm pistol, four live cartridges and 14 empty cartridges of AK-47.

July 1: Nearly 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres stormed Bangalwa Kareli village in Munger District in Bihar and killed six people and abducted seven others.

July 17: A group of CPI-Maoist cadres reportedly killed three persons including a sarpanch in Korchi Taluka in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. The victims identified as Motiram Katenge (50), sarpanch of Dabri village, Sudhakar Koreti (40) and Paharsinh Kumre (55), were killed in Bijepar village and their bodies were dumped in neighbouring Mohgaon Tola village, Police said.

July 20: Eight Congress Party workers were killed when the CPI-Maoist blew up a bridge at Udanti near Devbhog, about 175 kilometres east of Raipur District in Chhattisgarh. However, Additional DGP (anti-Maoist operation) Ram Niwas said, "All the Congress leaders were unharmed. Four were killed and four persons who sustained serious injuries were rushed to the hospital."

July 30: Over 100 CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead three villagers belonging to Kharwar tribe at Banda village under Nauhatta Police Station in Rohtas District of Bihar. Bodies of the victims were recovered on July 31.

July 31: Four cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs in Garu Police Station area of Latehar District in Jharkhand. One trooper of the CoBRA was also injured in the encounter. A joint team of CRPF and State Police, led by IG Ranchi, Rezi Dungdung, raided the area and made huge recoveries including weapons and ammunitions.

August 16: One STF head constable and four CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter between the Maoist cadres and the District Police along with the STF personnel at Ghodai Marg in Tirkanar forest area under Dhaudai Police Station in Narayanpur District in Chhattisgarh. According to sources, few more STF personnel were reported to be injured. Narayanpur District SP Mayank Srivastav said that the bodies of the Maoists have been recovered and rural Police have been called in to identify the deceased.

August 19: A civilian and 11 Policeman were killed and three sustained injuries in an ambush set by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Metlaperu village forests under Bhadrakali Police Station area of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh. ADGP Ram Niwas said, "A force of about 70 had set out from Bhadrakali for operational and 'admin' [logistical] operations." Niwas also added that four or five Maoists were also killed.

August 20: One havildar of State Police and two troopers of the CoBRA were killed when cadres of the CPI-Maoist fired at a patrolling party in Makadchuha village in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. One woman Maoist dalam commander of the Chatgaon dalam identified as Raneeta alias Ramko Hichami (35) was also killed in retaliatory firing. Police recovered some Maoist literature, a 303 rifle and 14 live rounds from near the body of Raneeta. Raneeta, had been in the dalam for about two decades, was the wife of Sunil, a cadre of the north-Gadchiroli divisional committee of the CPI-Maoist, which is active in this part.

October 7: Three troopers of the SSB were killed, and another seriously injured, when a powerful IED exploded under their vehicle near Geedam on National Highway 16 in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. "The SSB jawans were travelling in a Tata 407 [light truck] as part of a convoy of 11 vehicles headed from Dantewada to Jagdalpur," said DIG Vivekananda Sinha at a press conference in the State capital, Raipur. The Police believe that the IED was detonated by the Maoists.

October 21: Six Policemen were killed and five others injured in a landmine blast and ambush by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District in Chhattisgarh. The 16-member Police team was on its way to Netanar village, when it came under attack, ADG, Naxal operation Ramniwas said. A large group of Maoists set off an IED blast and opened fire on the Policemen, who were riding on eight motorcycles, as they approached the village.

November 24: The CPI-Maoist Politburo member Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji was killed in a massive security operation after a two-hour gun battle in Kushaboni forest in Jhargram in West Midnapore District in West Bengal. After the encounter was over the CRPF commandos quickly moved in and found a body closely resembling Kishanji. Three more bodies were also found.

December 3-4: 11 persons, including 10 Policemen, were killed when CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the convoy of MP and former Jharkhand Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, in Latehar District in Jharkhand. Namdhari, however, escaped unhurt. According to Latehar SP D B Sharma, the Maoists took with them 10 weapons, 2, 000 ammunition and one wireless set.

December 18: Four tribals, including a postman, were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District in Chhattisgarh for allegedly refusing to follow the Maoist diktat to blow off a school building being used as a Police outpost. The Maoists abducted the four villagers on the intervening night of December 17 and 18 from Kaknar village and subsequently killed them in a nearby forest, official sources said.

December 29: The Maoists raided Kanaudi village in Jamui District in Bihar and killed three villagers. The victims were identified as Mumtaz Ansari, Fakruddin and Samimul.

December 30: Bullet-riddled bodies of four villagers abducted by CPI-Maoist cadres have been recovered from a pond in Behrar village in Banka District in Bihar. The victims - Mansoor Ansari, Kallu Ansari, Kashim Ansari and Sahadat Ansari - were abducted from Kanaudi village in Jamui District on December 29.

Bihar

February 26: Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were reportedly killed by SFs during an encounter that lasted over five hours in Majidih village in Banka District in Bihar. According to Police sources, around 12 heavily armed Maoists, who were holed up in a house in the village, opened fire on STF troopers after being asked to surrender. The SFs retaliated by killing six of the Maoists, DGP Neelmani said. Neelmani said two self-loading rifles, another rifle, four magazines and 210 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the hideout. Three of the Maoists were in Police uniform, he said. From the six bodies, the Police identified one of the Maoists as Golu, a self-styled ‘area commander’ in the Banka region, wanted in several cases of violence. He was considered a terror in eastern Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, the Police said. The other five are yet to be identified by the Police. However, the Police arrested one Maoist cadre identified as Deven Tudu, a resident of Kaithavaran, which is close to Majidih village, about 250km from Patna.

March 13: Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed and one SAP personnel identified as Shiv Sharan Yadav was injured in an encounter between the SFs and the Maoists in Dharmaha village under the Kalyanpur Police Station in East Champaran District in Bihar. East Champaran SP Ganesh Kumar led the joint forces comprising BMP, SAP, CRPF and STF troopers following information that a group of over 100 Maoists had assembled at the village, sources said. The over 12-hour-long encounter ended at 4:00 am on Monday [March 14], DGP Neelmani said. The bodies of all the six CPI-Maoist have been recovered while eight other CPI-Maoists, including three women, have been arrested. SFs have also recovered 14 weapons comprising five SLRs, eight Police rifles and one .315 rifle, besides explosives and ammunition from the spot, the DGP added.

May 15: As the voting for the ninth phase of Bihar Panchayat polls began two polling officials were killed and two critically injured in a landmine blast triggered by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Jamui District in Bihar. "Maoists targeted a Police vehicle in which polling officials were going to conduct polls in a village in Jamui," ADGP Rajwardhan Sharma said.

One person was killed and another injured in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists near Chhurchuriya village in the District, DGP Neelmani said. "The poll personnel were going to Chhurchuriya booth on a tractor when the landmine planted by Maoists went off," Neelmani said. The driver of the tractor Arun Mandal died on the spot and one poll personnel who is a local teacher was seriously injured in the blast, the DGP added.

July 1: Nearly 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres stormed Bangalwa Kareli village in Munger District in Bihar and killed six people and abducted seven others, Police said. "Five people were killed on the spot while one sustained serious injuries and died later in a hospital," an unnamed Police officer said.

July 30: The CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead three villagers belonging to Kharwar tribe at Banda village under Nauhatta Police Station in Rohtas District of Bihar. Bodies of the victims were recovered on July 31. Sasaram SP Manu Maharaj said that three and not five villagers, as reported earlier, were killed in the attack. Over 100 Maoists took part in the attack that targeted former village headman Sugriva Kharbar, who heads an anti-Naxal group called Kaimuranchal Vikas Morcha (Kaimur Area Development Forum).

December 29: The Maoists raided Kanaudi village in Jamui District in Bihar and killed three villagers. The victims were identified as Mumtaz Ansari, Fakruddin and Samimul.

December 30: Bullet-riddled bodies of four villagers abducted by CPI-Maoist cadres have been recovered from a pond in Behrar village in Banka District in Bihar, Police said. The victims - Mansoor Ansari, Kallu Ansari, Kashim Ansari and Sahadat Ansari - were abducted from Kanaudi village in Jamui District on December 29.

Chhattisgarh

January 12: In a joint operation, the State Police and the Paramilitary Forces neutralised a camp of the CPI-Maoist in the Kutru region of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh. "Police personnel had an encounter with the Maoists. It carried on for half an hour. But they managed to run away. We then searched the area and recovered some item including arrows and bows," ASP, B P Rajbhanu, said. He also said that the Police believe at least two to three Maoists were killed during the encounter.

March 14: The Police claimed to have killed 30 CPI-Maoist cadres in an encounter in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh after an ambush by the Maoists killed three Policemen dead and nine others injured. ADG (Naxal operations) Ram Niwas said that a Police team of 145 troopers were on a search operation in the Chintalnaar area, when the Maoists struck. "In the ambush by the Naxals, three of our men were killed and nine were injured," said Ram Niwas. He further said that the Police claim "to have killed 30 Naxals" in retaliatory action. "Police did not collect so far a single dead body of Maoists and it is probable that rebels have carried away the bodies of their colleagues deep inside the jungle," Bastar IG T.J. Longkumer added.

May 17: Five CRPF troopers, belonging to the 2nd battalion, were killed and two others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Borguda village on National Highway 221, six kilometres away from Sukma town in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. The CRPF convoy of three vehicles was returning from Kerlapal to the camp at Sukma when they were hit by landmine blast around 9:00 pm, killing five CRPF troopers and injuring two others, IG, Bastar, T. J. Langkumer, said.

June 9: The CPI-Maoist cadres opened indiscriminate fire near the camp of Chhattisgarh Armed Force in Narayanpur District, killing four troopers and leaving another injured. Some troopers of the force were involved in their regular chores near the camp of the 16th battalion of the Force in Bharaghati village when the Maoists started firing at them killing four troopers and leaving another injured, Ram Niwas, ADG anti-Maoist operations said. The Maoists also decamped with two weapons of the troopers, the senior officer said. Later the injured CAF trooper succumbed to his injuries taking the death toll to five.

June 10: The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up an anti-landmine vehicle, killing 10 SF personnel - seven SPOs and three police constables - and injuring three others at bridge near Gatan village in Katekalyan area in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. The anti-landmine vehicle of the SFs was approaching a bridge near Gatan village near Katekalyan when the Maoists triggered a powerful blast and opened indiscriminate fire on the personnel who came out of the badly damaged vehicle, Police said.

June 11: Three CRPF personnel were killed when a group of 250 cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the CRPF camp at Bhejji village in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. ADGP Ram Niwas claimed 10 Maoists were killed in the encounter, but their bodies were taken away by the Maoists.

June 26: The Maoists blew up an SUV near Kirandul in Dantewada District, 6 kilometres from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, killing three Policemen and injuring three others, said Ramnivas, the ADG (Naxalite operations). One Policeman is missing.

A patrolling team of the BSF and the Police was ambushed by around 300 Maoists. Two BSF troopers were killed on the spot in Kanker District in Chhattisgarh while one Maoist was killed in retaliatory firing.

July 20: CPI-Maoist blew up a bridge at Udanti near Devbhog, about 175 kilometres east of Raipur District in Chhattisgarh, killing eight Congress Party workers. Talking to reporters from Mainpur Police Station, State Congress President Nand Kumar Patel said, "We lost eight of our men and at least five were injured. No preventive measures were taken, despite the administration being informed three days ago about the event." However, Additional DGP (anti-Maoist operation) Ram Niwas said, "All the Congress leaders were unharmed. Four were killed and four persons who sustained serious injuries were rushed to the hospital." Patel and other party leaders were returning from a Kisan Sammelan held in Durwagudi, a village in Devbhog block, on the border with Odisha, when the convoy was attacked by the Maoists.

August 16: One STF head constable and four CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter between the Maoist cadres and the District Police along with the STF personnel at Ghodai Marg in Tirkanar forest area under Dhaudai Police Station in Narayanpur District in Chhattisgarh. According to sources, few more STF personnel were reported to be injured. Narayanpur District SP Mayank Srivastav said that the bodies of the Maoists have been recovered and rural Police have been called in to identify the deceased.

August 19: A civilian and 11 Policeman were killed and three sustained injuries in an ambush set by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Metlaperu village forests under Bhadrakali Police Station area of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh. ADGP Ram Niwas said, "A force of about 70 had set out from Bhadrakali for operational and 'admin' [logistical] operations." Niwas also added that four or five Maoists were also killed.

October 7: Three troopers of the SSB were killed, and another seriously injured, when a powerful IED exploded under their vehicle near Geedam on National Highway 16 in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. "The SSB jawans were travelling in a Tata 407 [light truck] as part of a convoy of 11 vehicles headed from Dantewada to Jagdalpur," said DIG Vivekananda Sinha at a press conference in the State capital, Raipur. The Police believe that the IED was detonated by the Maoists.

October 21: Six Policemen were killed and five others injured in a landmine blast and ambush by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District. The 16-member Police team was on its way to Netanar village, when it came under attack, ADG, Naxal operation Ramniwas said. A large group of Maoists set off an IED blast and opened fire on the Policemen, who were riding on eight motorcycles, as they approached the village. Six Policemen, including a Police Inspector, were killed on the spot and five others were injured in the attack, Bastar SP Ratanlal Dangi said. He added that at least three Maoists were suspected to have been killed in retaliatory firing by the Police.

December 18: Four tribals, including a postman, were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District in Chhattisgarh for allegedly refusing to follow the Maoist diktat to blow off a school building being used as a Police outpost. The Maoists abducted the four villagers on the intervening night of December 17 and 18 from Kaknar village and subsequently killed them in a nearby forest, official sources said. The victims include Ganesh, the village postman, his uncle Vishwanath, one Chaman and Sukhlal, belonging to Maria Gond Tribe. Sources said the Maoists earlier had asked the four to help to bomb the Ashram school building located in Kaknar village, a portion of which was being used as a Police outpost.

Jharkhand

January 9: Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs at Hurlum forests in Hazaribagh District in Jharkhand. "Three top Maoist cadres were killed in the gun battle. The bodies have been recovered and three rifles seized," a spokesperson of the Jharkhand Police said. The killed Maoists were identified as ‘zonal commander’ Praven Manjhi alias Phulchand, ‘sub-zonal commander’ Dharmendra Mahto alias Deo Dayal Mahto and ‘area commander’ Prasant Kumar Singh of a hit squad of Zilga zonal commander Naveen Manjhi. Three rifles, including two semi-automatic ones, more than 100 live cartridges, a torch, cell phone batteries and chargers and INR 45, 000 in cash were found with them. A gas cylinder was also seized.

January 28: Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs at Luhur forest in Latehar District in Jharkhand. "Nine bodies of the Maoists were recovered after the encounter at Luhur forest under Barwadih Police Station," Latehar SP Kuldweep Diwedi said. SFs comprising CRPF and the District Police have also recovered arms and ammunition from the incident site, the SP added.

January 30: Around 10 to 15 cadres of the PLFI, earlier known as the JLT and a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, abducted three youths identified as Alok Sahu, Mahabali Sahu and Bhola Sahu and subsequently killed them by slitting their throats in Hulsu village on the outskirts of Ranchi District in Jharkhand.

February 11: Three persons, including a woman, were killed in an explosion at Manatu in Palamu District in Jharkhand. "The explosion took place at Sarguja village when the victims were producing landmine and can-bombs in the house of Birju Turi, an alleged sympathiser of the CPI-Maoist," DSP Surdarshan Mandal said. The three persons, including Birju's wife, were killed on the spot, he said, adding that the identity of the two victims was yet to be established. He said the roof and walls of the house were blown up by the impact of the blast.

February 28: Three Policemen, including an Assistant Sub Inspector, a Head Constable and a Home Guard, were killed and four others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Chatra District in Jharkhand. The explosion occurred when a jeep carrying seven Policemen, who were returning after a search operation, drove over the landmine at Lakrai More in Tandua area. The Maoists also seized the weapons from the Policemen before escaping.

March 15: Five CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in a gunfight with SFs in Khunti District in Jharkhand. "Five guerrillas have been killed in a gun battle. Our men saw that Maoists took away the dead bodies of their comrades," a Police Officer said.

April 25: The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed three persons, including a woman, in two separate incidents in Khunti District in Jharkhand. According to the Police, two slained bodies, including that of a woman were recovered from Riva village. The man was identified as B. Pradhan, while the identity of woman was yet to be ascertained. In the other incident, the Maoists killed Tofique Ansari by slitting his throat in Saude village in the District. "The killing seems to be the outcome of rivalry among Maoist groups," said a Police official.

May 3: 11 SF personnel were killed and nearly 40 injured when CPI-Maoist cadres set off landmines in an ambush in Lohardaga District in Jharkhand. After a tip off about Maoists having assembled there, the CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar, JAP and DAP personnel went to Urumuru village, but returned after not finding anyone. While the SFs were returning from Urumuru the Maoists ambushed them at Dhardhariya hills under Senha Police Station in the District. "The Police had information that the Maoists were holding a meeting at Hurmu village on top of a hill, but when the Police party comprising CRPF and District Police reached the spot there was no sign of any Maoist movement," IGP, Operation R K Malik said. When the party was descending from the hill, they fell into an ambush laid by the Maoists, who had planted IED in and around an area of two kilometres, each at a distance of 1.5-2 feet, the IG said. The earlier information of the Maoist presence at Hurmu was a trap for the Police, added Mallick.

May 15: Five cadres of the PLFI, a break away faction of the CPI-Maoist were shot dead reportedly by Maoist cadres at a wedding ceremony in Loki village at Raidih in Gumla District in Jharkhand. SP N.K. Singh said, a group of around 15 Maoist cadres dragged the five PLFI cadres, including the bridegroom and his father from the wedding function and shot them dead. The victims were identified as Gurdev Oraon, the bridegroom, and his father Cheta Oraon (50), while the others were identified as Jairam Oraon, Samar Oraon and Budu Oraon, the Police said. The incident was a fight for supremacy between the two Maoist outfits, SP Singh said, adding that Maoist cadre came in search of PLFI squad leader Mangal Nagesia but killed five of his supporters when they failed to find him. Two other cadres sustained injuries but managed to escape, sources said.

May 16: The four persons of a family were killed by the cadres of the PLFI, a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, at Dakeya village in Okba panchayat under Basia Police Station in Gumla District in Jharkhand. The PLFI cadres tied their hands and took to Karisokra forest where their throats were slit. They also fired five rounds at the incident site. The Maoists were led by Rajendra, Arjun Mahli, Gobardhan and Bale, ASP Shanni Tigga, SDPO C K Sinha, said.

June 2: Three CPI-Maoist cadres were killed and as many Policemen were injured in a gunfight at Murhu in Khunti District in Jharkhand. The gunfight ensued when a group of Maoists attacked a Police escort party at Murhu to snatch rifles from them near a bank, IGP S. N. Pradhan said. Pradhan did not rule out the possibility of Maoists' plan to loot the SBI branch. Police inspector P. K. Mishra told newsmen at Khunti, that about 30 Maoists were involved in the attack and managed to take away three rifles of the injured policemen before fleeing the spot.

June 6: A group of cadres of the PLFI, a breakaway faction of the CPI-Maoist, lead by it 'sub-zonal commander' Mangal Nagesia shot dead three persons, said to be Maoist supporters, at Jamgai village of Gumla District in Jharkhand, Police said. The victims were identified as Gandura Oraon, Sukra Oraon and Somnath Oraon. The incident is suspected to be a revenge killing as five of PLFI cadres were killed by Maoists during a marriage reception function at Loki village, about half a kilometer from Jamgai on May 15.

July 1: At least three CPI-Maoist cadres were killed when SFs, including CoBRA personnel, attacked Maoist 'zonal commander' Ajay Mahto's 35 cadre-strong squad at a place between rugged hills and dense forests near Telaiya village in Hazaribagh District in Jharkhand. After the Maoists fled, a combing operation in the area yielded INR 6.90 lakh in cash, a large numbers of uniforms, utensils, food grain, medicines, a 9-mm pistol, four live cartridges and 14 empty cartridges of AK-47.

July 31: Four cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs in Garu Police Station area of Latehar District. One trooper of the CoBRA was also injured in the encounter. A joint team of CRPF and State Police, led by IG Ranchi, Rezi Dungdung, raided the area and made huge recoveries including weapons and ammunitions.

December 3-4: 11 persons, including 10 Policemen, were killed when CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the convoy of MP and former Jharkhand Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, in Latehar District in Jharkhand. Namdhari, however, escaped unhurt. CRPF DIG B K Sharma confirmed the death toll reaching to 11 and looting of arms and ammunition by the Maoists after the attack. According to Latehar SP D B Sharma, the Maoists took with them 10 weapons, 2, 000 ammunition and one wireless set.

Maharashtra

April 19: SP Viresh Prabhu confirmed the death of a top CPI-Maoist leader Nagesh alias Shankar Tukka Pungati (38), 'commander-in-chief' of North Gadchiroli-Gondia division, along with two other Maoist cadres on the basis of Maoists pamphlets recovered from Malewada Village in Kurkheda Taluk in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. Nagesh was killed along with two other Maoist cadres in a fierce encounter in the forests of Khobramendha near Malewada village under Wadsa division of Gadchiroli District. The two other slain Maoists were 'platoon party member' Manglu (17) and PLGA member Manju (17). While Manglu belonged to Bastar area in Chhattisgarh, Manju hailed from Pipli (Burgi) village in Etapalli tehsil of Aheri sub-division of the District. "Nagesh was mastermind of several attacks on security forces. The death of two juvenile Naxalites proves that Naxals are enticing the juvenile youths to join the movement," the SP added.

Nagesh had clubbed four different Maoists dalams and had laid ambush on a patrolling party of CRPF in the hilly terrain of Khobramendha jungles. However, pamphlets of Maharashtra State Committee of Maoists recovered from Malewada a couple of days back claimed that three Maoists including Nagesh were killed in the Khobramendha encounter. "We will avenge each drop of our comrades by spoiling Operation Green Hunt," the pamphlet added.

May 5: A landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres killed six persons of a family, including a five-year-old boy, on Gadchiroli-Rajnandgaon road near Tavitola village in Dhanora Police Station limit in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. Gadchiroli SP S Veeresh Prabhu, said, "It is very shocking the way Naxals LWE didn't bother to check on their target before triggering the blast." Naxals are learnt to have followed up the blast with constant firing on the victims.

May 19: Four Police personnel, including two SPOs and over 20 CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in two different encounters in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. "At around 7.30 a.m. in Nalgonda forest, four C60 commando search parties were ambushed by Naxalites. The ambush and exchange of fire went on for more than 1 hour and 15 minutes. One Police constable, Chinna Gilla Venta (30), was killed and two were injured," Rahul Sheth, Gadchiroli ASP Operations said. Sheth said 12-14 Naxals were killed. "When our Police parties chased the Naxals, they ran away and left behind two bodies. An AK-47 magazine was found on one of the bodies, indicating that the deceased was a senior commander."

In the second encounter, Sheth said two C60 teams on a search operation from Tadgao post in Gadchiroli were attacked by Naxalites. "At around 9.15 a.m., they discovered an IED on the Tadgao-Bhamragad road. When they proceeded to the Bejur hillock to conduct a search operation, the Naxals sitting in ambush attacked them. We lost two SPOs and one constable in that attack which continued for around two hours," he said. "Around eight to 10 Naxals were killed. But their colleagues took away their bodies with them," he added. The Police did not recover any weapon as "the Naxals ran away with all their weapons," Sheth said.

July 17: A group of CPI-Maoist cadres reportedly killed three persons including a sarpanch in Korchi Taluka in Gadchiroli District. The victims identified as Motiram Katenge (50), sarpanch of Dabri village, Sudhakar Koreti (40) and Paharsinh Kumre (55), were killed in Bijepar village and their bodies were dumped in neighbouring Mohgaon Tola village, Police said.

August 20: One havildar of State Police and two troopers of the CoBRA were killed when cadres of the CPI-Maoist fired at a patrolling party in Makadchuha village in Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra. One woman Maoist dalam commander of the Chatgaon dalam identified as Raneeta alias Ramko Hichami (35) was also killed in retaliatory firing. While Havildar Pardeshi Sukudi Devangaon died in the firing, CoBRA troopers, Chandrashekhar Suresh Kore (28) and Yasin Mohammad, succumbed to their injuries. Another trooper Chandan Nath Shirish Kumar and Police sub-inspector Vitthal Pawar were also injured. Police recovered some Maoist literature, a 303 rifle and 14 live rounds from near the body of Raneeta. Raneeta, had been in the dalam for about two decades, was the wife of Sunil, a cadre of the north-Gadchiroli divisional committee of the CPI-Maoist, which is active in this part.

Orissa

January 1: At least five CPI-Maoist cadres, including three women, were killed in an encounter with the Police in Jajpur District in Odisha. Police personal and two teams of the anti-Maoist Special Operations Group raided a CPI-Maoist camp in the forested area of Jajpur. "Huge catch of arms and weapons have been recovered, including two country made guns and eight rifles," IGP Sanjeev Marik said.

January 9: Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including four women, were killed in an encounter with the District Voluntary Force and D-CAT, a special team of Rayagada Police in Rayagada District in Odisha. The gun-battle took place in Dabramali village in the remote hilly region of Bhamramali under the Kashipur Police Station limits of the District. "The firing lasted for a little more than an hour. When dawn broke, we found nine bodies scattered around the camp of which one was identified as that of Ravi, the leader of Kashipur dalam of Bansadhara division. There were four women Maoists among the dead," said Deputy IG, South-West Range Soumendra Priyadarshi. All the deceased Maoists are in the age group of 20-25. The Police said about 15 Maoists were in the camp when the encounter happened. "We expect two more casualties, as there were signs of bodies being dragged away," a senior Police Official said. Police recovered nine bodies from the encounter spot. Weapons and explosives, including three .303 rifles, two pistols and one INSAS rifle were seized.

February 11: At least three cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including an 'area commander', were killed in an encounter with the Security Forces in Sundargarh District in Odisha. The exchange of fire took place during a joint combing operation by the CRPF troopers and DVF, a specialised force of Armed Police Reserve trained in anti-Maoist warfare, in the Saranda forest under Bisra Police Station limit, bordering Jharkhand, CRPF sources said. Bodies of three Maoists were recovered after the gun battle, they said, adding one of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Musleem, 'area commander' of Maoists in Digha and Jareikela areas in Jharkhand. Musleem has at least 40 cases lodged against him for murder and attack on Government establishments in the District and East Singhbhum District of Jharkhand. One of the other two killed Maoists was a Nepali while the identity of the third could not be established. An American rifle, a 9-mm pistol, large quantity of cartridges and volumes of Maoist literature, including leaflets and posters, were recovered from the encounter site.

May 23: Nine Policemen, including the ASP of Gariabandh block in Raipur District, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist in Sunabeda forest in Nuapada District in Odisha. A hunt is on for a missing policeman. Senior Police officials on May 24 said that a 10-member Police team led by ASP Rajesh Pawar was sent to Amamora and Sonabed forest following reports of Maoist movement in the area. When the Police team was returning in the evening, their vehicle broke down following which they boarded a tractor. The Maoists then triggered a landmine blast in which the tractor was blown up. Nine policemen were killed in the attack, the officials said.

West Bengal

January 8: 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 West Midnapore District in West Bengal on January 7. This revelation came on a day when the State Government said that Police reports indicated the presence of Maoists and PCPA cadres in the violence there. PCPA spokesperson Dilip Hansda told a local television channel that the villagers had taken it upon themselves to destroy the harmad camps in the region — something, he claimed, the local administration had failed to do. "Those killed and injured [in the Netai violence] were all supporters of our movement and did not belong to any political party," he asserted.

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 in West Bengal. 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.

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 in West Bengal. The operation that netted Kishanji, who has repeatedly eluded such dragnets in the past three years, began in the night of November 22. It culminated in one of the biggest and fiercest battles in Jungle Mahal with some 500 CRPF personnel and anti-Maoist commandos, backed by local policemen, taking on 150-odd Maoist cadres. Thousands of rounds were fired in the Kushaboni forest in Jhargram, 200 kilometres west of Kolkata. After the gun battle stopped CRPF commandos quickly moved in and found a body closely resembling Kishanji. Three more bodies were also found.