CPI-Maoist Major Incidents 2015

*Data till December 31, 2015

January 12: Three suspected CPI-Maoist cadres were killed during a three hour long encounter with SFs at Bukar village under Chauparan Police Station area in Hazaribag District of Jharkhand.

March 21: Three members of a family, identified as Balkishore Shahdeo, Jal Kishore Shahdeo and Pramod, have been killed allegedly by the CPI-Maoist cadres at Murmu village in Lohardaga District of Jharkhand. The family was on a hunting trip when they were kidnapped from Sahedpat village. Their bodies were found early on March 22 morning near Marayan forest under the Jowang Police Station limits. Maoist sources claimed they were killed because they were police informers. "The Shahdeos resisted Left-Wing Extremists since they entered the area in 1991," said Lohardaga SP Manoj Ratan Chothe. The Shahdeos were landowners and of royal lineage, which made them a target for the Maoists.

April 11: Seven members of a STF, including its Commandant, were killed and 10 others injured when their platoon, on a routine search operation in the interiors of Sukma District of Chhattisgarh was ambushed by CPI-Maoist. ADGP anti-Naxalite operations, R.K. Vij said that the Maoists ambushed the STF Platoon of 100 men, led by Commandant Shankar Rao, near Pidmal village. The STF men killed have been identified as Constables Rohit Sori, Manoj Baghel and Mohan Uike; and Constables Rajkumar Markam, Kiran Deshmukh and Rajman Netam.

April 13: The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up an Anti-Landmine Vehicle of the Chhattisgarh Police, killing five personnel in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. "Maoists targeted an Anti-Landmine Vehicle which was on a search operation near Khudiyapara village of Dantewada around 2.30 p.m. on Monday. The vehicle was carrying 12 jawans of the CAF and the District Police, including the driver. Dantewada SP reached the spot immediately after the encounter and rushed the injured jawans to Kirandul hospital. However, four jawans died in the hospital," said a statement issued by the Chhattisgarh Police headquarters in Raipur. Another jawan succumbed to injuries while being taken to Jagdalpur for treatment, taking the toll to five. Seven jawans were injured, an officer posted in Bastar said.

May 17: Three Policemen and two CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter in Bijapur District. The encounter took place early in the morning near Ponjed at Mirjur in Gangaloor Police Station area where a team of STF and District Police Force was conducting an anti-Maoist operation. STF Constable Sitaram Kunjam and Assistant Constable of the District Force Moti Ram were killed on the spot. Another Constable Payku Ram Poyam succumbed to his injuries while he was being taken to Jagdalpur. Among the Maoist killed was a senior guerilla fighter Hemla Masa alias Vijay, 'commander of Company 2' of West Bastar Division of CPI-Maoist. ADG (Naxal Operations), R K Vij, said: "Fifteen rounds of AK-47, nine shells of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, a 12 bore rifle and a wireless set were recovered from him." Speaking on rebel presence in the area, Vij said the area was "highly-affected". "Our team had gone for an operation when the Maoists opened fire at them. Our jawans retaliated. We have recovered bodies of two uniformed Maoists," he added.

June 9: Twelve CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with the Palamau District Police and a team of CoBRA personnel in Palamau District of Jharkhand. "The encounter took place in Bakoria village, about 140 kilometre from Ranchi. All the bodies have been recovered," said District SP Mayur Patel. The cadres belonged to the 'dasta' (firing squad) of Maoist 'zonal commander' RK alias doctor, ADGP SN Pradhan said.

June 12: Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including two women, were killed in an exchange of fire between the Maoists and the SFs near Jinipa under Tarlaguda Police Station limits in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. Apart from the bodies, Police recovered five weapons from the spot and the dead Maoists were yet to be identified, a senior Police officer said.

July 15: Four auxiliary Constables belonging to Chhattisgarh Police were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. The SPO-turned-Auxiliary Constables, identified as Jaydev Yadav, Mangal Sori, Raju Tela and Rama Majji, were abducted in the afternoon of July 13, by the rebels. Three of them were posted in Kutru Police Station, another was in Bedre. Their bodies were found near Kutru.

July 31: Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including two female cadres, were killed in an encounter with the Police in remote Burudi forest near Tandki village of Malkangiri District of Odisha. Odisha DGP Sanjiv Marik confirmed the encounter.

August 26: Three BSF personnel and a civilian were killed in a CPI-Maoist ambush in Malkangiri District of Odisha. Six BSF personnel were also seriously injured in the incident that occurred in the cut-off area of Balimela reservoir near Palangarai ghat under Chitrakonda Police Station limits at around 6.30 a.m. The patrol party that faced the Maoist ambush was part of the 104th battalion of BSF that has a base camp near Janabai. According to Inspector-in-Charge of Chitrakonda Police Station P. Durua, this team was returning by boat after area domination and patrolling in the cut-off area of the reservoir. While they were alighting from the boat, a landmine planted by the Maoists went off. It was followed by firing by the Maoists who were hiding nearby.

September 19: Three CPI-Maoist cadres, including a 'divisional committee member' from Chhattisgarh - identified as Sunadhar - were killed in an encounter with SFs near Bhejaguda forest under Malkangiri Police Station limits in Malkangiri District of Odisha. Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said Sunadhar carried a reward of INR 500, 000 on his head. Identity of the other two Maoists killed in the encounter has not been ascertained. The SP added the encounter took place between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. when a troupe of DVF of Malkangiri District had stumbled upon a secret camp of Maoists at the encounter spot. When the Maoists opened fire the SFs retaliated. Exchange of fire continued for around 15 minutes. Unable to face the fire power of security personnel, three Maoists in the camp died at the spot while the rest managed to escape.

November 3: Three CPI-Maoist cadres were killed by the SFs in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh. The gun battle ensued when a group of armed Maoists opened indiscriminate fire on a joint team of CoBRA, STF and the state's DRG, who were conducting anti-Maoist operation in the region. SFs retaliated and the gunfight lasted for around two hours. The Police recovered bodies of three Maoists along with two rifles from the spot.

November 13: Four CPI-Maoist cadres, including the 'intelligence chief' of Bhairamgarh unit of the party were killed in an encounter with the SFs in the forested terrain of Hallur in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. "Acting on a specific tip-off from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about the possible major attack planned by Maoists in the region, a joint team of Bijapur District Police force and specially trained District Reserve Guards (DRG) launched the search operation. Close to Hallur, the rebels opened fire on the forces. In the ensuing gun-battle, four Maoists, including the head of intelligence wing of Bhairamgarh unit, identified as Rainu, were killed," the ASP of Bijapur, Indira Kalyan Elesela said. There is no report of any injury sustained by the forces. Following an hour-long gunfight, the bodies of four rebels were recovered from the encounter site along with their weapons. "The police found a pistol, two rifles and a 12 bore gun from the spot," Elesela, who planned the operation, further said.

November 22: Four woman cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with SFs in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh. "A team, comprising Dantewada District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), conducted a joint operation under Gadisras police station limits on the Sukma-Dantewada border. An encounter took place between the joint team and the Maoists at Nagalguda hills in the morning and a camp of Maoists' Malangir area committee was busted. Bastar police have recovered four bodies of uniformed Maoists, along with a 303 service rifle and two 12-bore rifles. They are all women," S.R.P. Kalluri, IG of Police, Bastar range, said. The IG claimed that Ayatu, the divisional committee member of Darbha division of the CPI-Maoist, was shot from close range and sustained multiple bullet injuries during the encounter. "However, he managed to flee leaving behind a truck load of camp items of the Maoists on the spot. This is second such success of our composite team," added Kalluri. One of the Maoists killed on November 22 was identified as Rame, the Malangir area committee member of CPI-Maoist. Other three have been identified as Sanni, Mase and Pandy, all members of Maoists LOS.

Note: C - Civilian, SFs - Security Force Personnel, T - Terrorist

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