Left-Wing Extremist Attacks Involving People’s Militia

DATE

INCIDENT

January 10

A group of about 40 to 50 CPI-Maoist cadres killed two villagers, identified as Vijay Nayak and Charku Nayak, at Anjan village, about 16 kilometres from the District headquarters of Gumla in Jharkhand. Both were members of Shanti Sena, an anti-Maoist body set up three years ago with the help of Police. The Maoists also ransacked the houses of village Shanti Sena chief Satyanarayan Thakur and another Sena member Rampyare and set ablaze a motorcycle.

January 15

More than 100 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the control room of a private company’s mobile tower with bombs and partially damaged it at village Anwarpur under Sarai Police Station in the Vaishali District in Bihar. The Maoists were trying to enforce a 24-hour bandh in north Bihar to protest against alleged atrocities on their senior cadre, identified as Rampravesh Baitha alias Satish Ji alias Rakesh Ji, lodged in the Central Jail in Bhagalpur.

January 16

Three CPI-Maoist cadres, along with eight under-trial prisoners, escaped from the Jamui District civil court premises in Bihar while they were being brought to the court for regular production. A group of 50 Maoists waiting at the court premises attacked the Police party by spraying chilli powder. They also exploded bombs as the Policemen tried to stop them. Three Police personnel sustained injuries. In the ensuing chaos, three Maoists, identified as Sunil Baitha, Paresh Hembram and Vivek Yadav, escaped from Police custody.

January 16

More than 150 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a bus after looting the passengers on board at Manikanta village in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. "The Naxals asked the passengers to disembark the bus and looted valuables from them," said Rahul Sharma, the District SP. Before leaving, the Maoists broke the fuel tank of the vehicle and set it on fire. The Maoists also left a note saying the incident was in retaliation to the Police action against them in Singavaram on January 8, he added.

January 25

More than 400 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist barged into a vehicle garage of a contractor, K.A. Papachand, and set ablaze 24 vehicles after threatening the workers of dire consequences if they raised any alarm at Kirandul in the Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh.

January 27

More than 200 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist stormed the control room of a BSNL communication tower and asked the employees to vacate it before detonating dynamites at Maigra village in the Gaya District of Bihar.

February 2

A group of 50 Maoist cadres blew up a transmission tower of Airtel situated in the Garo village of Chatra District of Jharkhand. More than 13 such towers have been blown up by the Maoists in the State in the last three years.

February 9

At least 10 Policemen, including some from the Special Auxiliary Police, were killed when more than 150 armed CPI-Maoist cadres launched a surprise attack on the SF personnel who were providing security at a function at Ravidas Ashram in the Mahuliatand village of Nawada District of Bihar. The Additional Director General of Police, Neelmani, said, "When an 18-member Police team led by Ram reached the village, Maoist guerillas suddenly attacked and shot them dead. The incident happened in a remote area. Therefore, the final figure can only be available once the top Police officials reach the spot with reinforcements. An intensive operation has been launched against Maoists in Districts bordering neighbouring Jharkhand." There is no report of civilian being killed, he added. The Maoists subsequently fled with the arms and ammunition of the slain Policemen. The Police later launched a combing operation at the Bihar-Jharkhand State border.

February 9

More than 100 cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up the house of one Chandrashekhar Dagi, an assistant jailer in the Hazaribagh central jail, in the Lembugua village of Chatra District of Jharkhand accusing him of torturing Maoists in the jail. The Maoists asked all the people inside to come out before blowing up the house. No one was injured in the incident, though the house was completely destroyed.

February 15

About 150 suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a wall of an under-construction jail after forcing workers out of the building in the Sheohar District of Bihar. The Maoists also left behind pamphlets that warned of more such attacks.

February 22

A group of approximately 70 CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the house of a contractor, B.K. Swain, at Govindpali village in the Malkangiri District of Orissa and shot him dead. The Maoists also blew up his house besides setting ablaze four vehicles. Later, the Maoists set ablaze a Police outpost and blew up a mobile phone tower of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited in the same village.

February 26

About 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres held a ‘Jan Adalat’ (People’s Court) in the Banke Bazaar area of Gaya District of Bihar. The ‘Jan Adalat’ was held in the presence of the heads of five village panchayats, who hailed the 'effort' of the Maoists by raising pro-extremist slogans. The Maoists also called for a boycott of the Lok Sabha elections and also paid a tribute to around 14,000 Maoists cadres who were killed in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttaranchal, Nepal and Bihar. The report also said Maoists are regularly holding ‘Jan Adalat’ at gun point in the District.

February 28

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two railway stations on the Howrah-Mumbai and Rourkela-Barasuan section in the Sundergarh District of Orissa. While one group of around 70 Maoists, including some women, blew up the Bhalulata railway station, another group of Maoists attacked the railway station at Chandiposh on Rourkela-Barasuan section. Maoists also abducted two railway officials from Chandiposh.

February 28

A group of around 50 Maoists attacked a construction site at Jingiriguda village under Bamunigaon Police Station in the Kandhamal District of Orissa and took away personal belongings and a motorcycle from a contractor and his staff.

March 11

Around 100 CPI-Maoist cadres entered into a village, dragged a leader of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) out of his house and killed him by slitting his throat after the a kangaroo court pronounced him guilty of acting as a Police informer at Parsando village in the Munger District of Bihar. The slain leader was identified as Manoj Singh, president of the Kharagpur block unit of the JD-U. Before disappearing into the adjoining thick forest, the Maoists left a leaflet accusing Manoj of defying their order to pay extortion money and acting as a Police informer.

March 11

A CPI-Maoist militia of around 60 cadres killed a Government school teacher, Kedar Singh Bhotka, at Gurudih village under Katkamsandi Police Station in the Hazaribag District of Jharkhand, suspecting him to be a Police informer and a supporter of the breakaway Maoist outfit, the Jharkhand Prastuti Committee. Kedar Singh Bhotka and his brother Ganesh Singh Bhotka were dragged out of their house at around 2 am. Both were then tied to a tree and beaten up after which Kedar was killed. Ganesh, who was later released, was undergoing treatment at the District hospital.

March 18

A group of more than 100 suspected CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze 25 tractors belonging to a private company, constructing an embankment, as it failed to pay 10 per cent ‘levy’ to them, in the Adalpur village of Sheohar District of Bihar. "Most of the officials and workers engaged in construction of the embankment fled after the attack," said an unnamed Police official.

March 23

The Police repelled a CPI-Maoist attack on the Dhurki Police Station in Garwah District of Jharkhand after a two-hour gun battle. About 50 to 100 Maoists in four groups launched a simultaneous attack on the Police Station around 2am (IST) firing over 500 bullets, Police said. The Police counter attack forced the Maoists to retreat at around 4am without causing any harm to the Police Station.

March 25

Around 100 armed CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the Police outpost and a nearby rest house at Padia in Malkangiri District of Orissa and partially damaged the two buildings using a bulldozer they had forcibly taken from a road construction site. They also set ablaze the battery room of a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd telecom tower and assaulted the watchman and another person when they protested. The District Superintendent of Police Satyabrata Bhoi is reported to have confirmed the incident. After destroying the buildings, the Maoists put up posters in the area asking people to boycott the general elections scheduled to be held in April 2009. They also warned that those taking part in the elections would be punished.

March 31

Around 50 heavily-armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a State-run school at Chormara village under Bhimbandh forest range in the Jamui District of Bihar. However, no casualties were reported in the attack, Police said.

April 2

CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader's house, a school building and a healthcare centre in the Moktama village of Chatra District of Jharkhand, the Police said. About 50 Maoists barged into BJP leader Mahendra Yadav's house and asked his family members to run out, the report added. They then detonated bombs. They also blew up a school building and an anganvadi (mother and child centre) building in the same village. In the last three days, Maoists have reportedly blown up six Government buildings in the State.

April 2

A CPI-Maoist militia of about 100 cadres set ablaze two telecom towers of the Aircel business group in Malkangiri Village-24 and Malkangiri Village-22 under Padia Bock in Malkangiri District of Orissa.

April 5

Over 100 heavily-armed Cadres of the CPI-Maoists blew up the building of Rajkiya Buniyadi Madhya Vidyalaya at Faluka in Gaya District of Bihar.

April 6

Around 150 suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist attempted to explode a Government school using dynamite at Ketaki village in the Aurangabad District of Bihar. However, the school building was not damaged as the explosion was not powerful. The Maoists took away a generator of the school before the Police reached the spot. According to Police sources, the ongoing attacks on schools by the Maoists have been an attempt to foil the State administration's bid to house Central Reserve Police Force and other para-military forces in schools for deployment in Maoist affected areas during the Parliament elections scheduled to be held in April-May.

April 8

Around 150 armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two rooms of a school building and a village level child care centre by detonating dynamites at village Baluar in the Gaya District of Bihar. The school was two kilometers from the ground where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was to address an election rally hours later.

April 8

A group of 50 CPI-Maoist cadres destroyed a mobile phone tower and other equipments, including a generator, belonging to a private telecom operator by crude bombs at Bishinpur Sagahan village in the Aurangabad District of Bihar.

April 12

11 paramilitary Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and four Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres were killed in a gunfight following an attack on an armoury and bauxite mine of public sector National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO) at Panchpatmali near Damanjodi in Koraput District of Orissa. Over a hundred armed Maoists laid siege to the state-run National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) bauxite mine at Panchpatmali near Damanjodi in Koraput District targeting the magazine depot, where explosives used for blasting purposes were stored. They also attacked a CISF camp nearby. Police sources said the 22 CISF personnel guarding the depot were outnumbered as firing ensued between the CISF personnel and the Maoists. They added that the Maoists also looted CISF weapons and disrupted the telecommunication network in the area by blowing up a mobile tower.

April 13

A group of 100 CPI-Maoist cadres raided a community centre, which was proposed as a polling centre for the upcoming Parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on April 16, at Pandu village in the Aurangabad District of Bihar. However, no causalities were reported.

April 15

Eleven CPI-Maoist cadres were killed and one BSF personnel injured during a seven hour long encounter at Dhansa Ghati in the Rohtas District of Bihar. The encounter occurred when more than 150 armed CPI-Maoist cadres surrounded the BSF camp and opened fire at the Security Force personnel. The injured SF personnel was identified as Arjun Shekhawat. The incident happened just one day before the commencement of Parliamentary election in the District. "The aim of the Maoists, besides damaging the BSF position, was to loot arms and ammunition and to derail the poll process as Sasaram goes to poll on April 16. It appears that during their retreat, the Maoists took away the injured and bodies of the dead colleagues," BSF sources said, adding, "This is for the first time in the series of recent Maoist attacks that they were made to retreat after suffering substantial casualties without causing much damage to the BSF." According to the Additional Director General of Police Neelmani, "Maoists used three rocket launchers. Two launchers failed and one rocket hit a wall."

April 21

A group of over 50 Maoists bombed the Utari Road railway station and also destroyed a nearby track in the Palamau District of Jharkhand. Police said the militants had planned to target the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, which was to pass through the station 30 minutes after the blast.

April 22

A group of about 70 Maoists entered the Dubrajpur and Saluka villages, four kilometres from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Ramgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal, and assaulted CPI-M leader, Gopinath Murmu, to death at Dubrajpur. The Maoists then went to Saluka looking for the CPI-M's local branch committee secretary Sudhir Mahat, who was in hiding after receiving death threats from Maoists. Not finding him, the Maoists attacked his family members and local CPM supporters. Sudhir's son Banabehari and six CPI-M workers, Bhagan Mahat, Shockap Mahat, Bankim Mahat, Uttam Mahat, Pratap Mahat and Uttam Murmu, were reportedly assaulted. They were also forced to write that they were quitting the CPI-M party and the posters were put up.

April 22

Nearly 200 CPI-Maoist cadres seized the Gomo-Mughalsarai train (number 627) carrying nearly 700 passengers near the Hehegarha station at 7.30 a.m. in Latehar District of Jharkhand and later released it around 11.50am (IST) without causing any harm to the passengers. They later fled the spot after spotting a helicopter.

Nearly 5,000 tribals, wielding shovels, axes and hammers and led by CPI-Maoist cadres, demolished a Government building that till last week was a Police camp at Kalaimuri near Lalgarh in the West Midnapore District of West Bengal. Police said that around 11am, a group of Maoists gathered in front of the camp, one of four in Salboni. "They (the Maoists) contacted people in the neighbouring villages and asked them to assemble near the camp," a Police officer said, adding, "Nearly 5,000 villagers with bows, arrows, axes, iron rods and shovels gathered within half an hour. Some in the demolition squad were women. The Maoists held an hour-long meeting with them and the demolition began around 1pm. The camp building was completely destroyed by 4pm." Police sources said the tribals had come from about a dozen villages. This is for the first time that tribals of the area demolished a Government building. One of the tribals who helped bring the building down said, "Had the building remained standing, the Police would have returned with reinforcements. That's why we demolished it." Manoj Kumar Verma, the West Midnapore Superintendent of Police, said he had received news of the demolition and had informed his superiors. "We will not move into Kalaimuri now because it may lead to untoward incidents. We don't want a confrontation with the villagers at this moment. Today's demolition of the camp was led by Maoists," he added.

May 21

16 Police personnel, including five women constables, were killed during a three-hour long encounter with a group of armed CPI-Maoist cadres near the hills of Hatti Tola in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. The encounter took place when a team of 16 member Police party led by Inspector Ashok Aiyyar was busy in clearing the Dhanora-Murumgaon road of the District, which was blocked by the CPI-Maoist by felling trees during their two-day long bandh call from May 20 in the Bhandara, Gondia and Gadchiroli areas. The Maoists after killing all 16 Police personnel also looted their arms and ammunition and set ablaze the two Police vehicles. A group of more than 70 Maoists, who were camping near Tabitola village, bordering the State of Chhattisgarh, opened fire on the Police personnel and triggered landmine blasts later, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pradhan said. More than five dalams of Maoists, armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, attacked the Police team, which was reportedly taken completely by surprise. This is the first time women constables have been killed in a clash between Maoists and the Police.

June 7

Around 70 cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the Police Station in Baipariguda village in Koraput District and blew it up after forcing Policemen out of the premises. They also set ablaze several vehicles. Five Policemen were on duty when Maoists attacked the Police Station. "The rebels overpowered the Policemen, forced them out and blew up the building," Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjeev Panda told. "They also blew up a Police outpost near by, ransacked the local forest office and set fire to nearly seven vehicles, including two Police Jeeps," he added. However, no one was killed or injured in the attack. The Maoists later escaped to the nearby forest. The Maoists left leaflets and posters at the site that claimed the attack was carried out to protest the killing of one of their leaders by the Police in the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh.

36

June 15

An armed militia of around 70 cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up at least three Government buildings at Chakarbandha village under Dumaria Police Station in the Gaya District of Bihar, close to the Jharkhand border. Reports said the Maoist militia raided the village after midnight and blew up a Government middle school building, a community hall and the panchayat bhawan (building of the village level self Government institution).

37

July 12

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed 30 Police personnel, including a Superintendent of Police (SP), in two incidents in the Rajnandgaon District in Chhattisgarh. Around 200 Maoists took part in the attack. An encounter in a third place, Sitagaon, was still going on. While the bodies of 36 Police personnel, including that of SP Vinod Kumar Chaubey have been found, the Security Forces’ toll could rise once search operations resume. ‘‘There was heavy firing on the police party,’’ said Inspector General of Police Mukesh Gupta. ‘‘The firing occurred in two phases. First, they killed policemen in a senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Kerkatta village and then, they targeted the SP when he arrived with reinforcements. We are finding bodies everywhere. The more we look, the more bodies we see." Rajnandgaon (Kawardha), which happens to be Chief Minister Raman Singh’s Legislative Assembly constituency, is 68 kilometers from Raipur, the State capital

38

July 16

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist looted an explosive-laden vehicle and abducted a Sub-Inspector of Police by firing at a Police van at Champajharan under Koida Police Station in Sundergarh District in Orissa. Diptesh Patnaik, the District Superintendent of Police, said that over 80 Maoists looted the private vehicle on its way to Koida from Rourkela with the explosives meant for mining activities after firing at its driver. The Maoists then fired indiscriminately at a Police van which was escorting it and abducted Ajit Bardhan, Sub-Inspector of Koida Police Station. Koida is a Maoist-prone area near Jharkhand. The driver of the private vehicle is reported to have sustained bullet injuries.

39

July 17

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the Police outpost at Katingia in the Kandhamal District in Orissa. The Maoists set ablaze documents and furniture kept at the Police outpost, a bike and also destroyed the VHF set kept there. In addition, they also exploded a landmine to destroy a newly constructed building in the premises of the Police outpost. However, the three Policemen on duty during the attack were not harmed though they were overpowered. Around 50 Maoists took part in this attack. The report added that most of the Maoists rounded up the Katingia village not to let anyone go out to pass on message about the attack. Around 10 armed Maoists reached the outpost to overpower the Policemen and to trigger the explosion. Before escaping, the Maoists also blocked the Jhinjiriguda-Katingia road by cutting down trees.

40

August 5

A group of around 70 cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including some women, killed Shankar Das Adhikary (38), a supporter of the ruling CPI-M, at Chilgora village, about 20 kilometers from Lalgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. The Maoists barged into his house and dragged him out around 2.30a.m. (IST). A "people's court" was held in the village at which he was awarded 'death sentence' for his alleged connection with the Police, and then shot dead. A statement issued by Maoist leader Bikas through SMS said: "Extreme punishment has been meted out to Shankar Adhikary. After the arrival of the joint force, the Chandra camp was his regular address. He was also accused of exploitation and corruption."

41

August 12

An intermittent exchange of fire between the SFs and Maoists continued in the Lalgarh region of West Midnapore District of West Bengal. SFs chased a group of about 100 Maoists early in the day at Chandavila village where they had taken shelter. With the Maoists opening fire, a gun-battle ensued with the SF personnel retaliating, the Police said. The extremists fled the village and entered Purnapani village where another encounter followed. Faced with heavy firing from the troops, the Maoists split in two groups - one proceeding towards Tarki village and the other entering the dense Bhulagara forest. The Bhulagara group was encircled by the SFs after a brief encounter and some of them were arrested. However, none of the group members who fled towards Tarki could be arrested. District Police Superintendent Manoj Kumar Verma told, "Some Maoists have been arrested and are being interrogated now. Heavy fire exchange took place in four places though there was no casualty on our side." One of the arrested has been identified as Baidyanath Hembram (20) of Rautara village in the region. However, no weapon was found on him at the time of arrest.

42

August 24

The Maoists bombed and destroyed two towers in the Palamau District of Jharkhand. They blew up a mobile tower. About 50 armed insurgents reached the site of the tower situated on Aurangabad-Medininagar route in the District, stuffed it with explosives before blowing it up, Deputy Superintendent of Police Brajmohan Paswan said in Latehar. The blast left a big crater on the spot, about 200 kilometers from Ranchi, he added.

43

August 24-25

A group of 50 Maoists blew up a newly built community centre in the Akri village under the Dev block of Aurangabad District of Bihar in the midnight of August 24. No casualty was reported as the building was empty when the Maoists triggered the blast.

44

August 25

Maoists blew up two mobile towers in the Gaya District and set ablaze four vehicles at Tilhautu in the Rohtas District of Bihar as the 48-hour shutdown called by the Maoists in five States, including Bihar, ended in the night of August 25. Around 400 extremists detonated dynamites to blow up the towers at Guraru and at Gurua in Gaya District, Neelmani told media. The Naxalites also blocked the road at Tilhautu in Rohtas and set ablaze four vehicles. The Naxalites told passengers to vacate the vehicles before setting them on fire, he added.

45

August 26

More than 50 CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze two mobile phone towers at Mathurapur village under Guraru Police station area and Gurua of Bihar. While the Mathurapur tower belonged to Reliance Communications, the Gurua tower belonged to Aircel. Gaya Superintendent of Police Sushil Khopde said prima facie it appeared to be the handiwork of the same group which on August 25 evening put Ismailpur station on fire and abducted the station manager, Mayur Kumar. The station manager was subsequently released.

46

August 26

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the camp of a construction company and destroyed machinery near Mahupadar village under Mathili police station in the Malkangiri District of Orissa. The Maoists set ablaze three tippers, one excavator and one machine used to melt and mix coal tar at the worksite. The construction company was laying a road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the area. According to sources, around 20 armed Maoists along with more than 50 supporters reached the camp of the construction company. They threatened the labourers sleeping in the camp not to oppose their activities or try to contact anyone. The panicked labourers were kept under the watch of armed cadres while others got involved in the arson.

47

September 1

Two villagers were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in the Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh, accusing them of being Police informers, Police said. Some 50 extremists, including several women, came to Bijepar village and killed the two villagers, in their late 20s, in front of the other people, Superintendent of Police Praveer Das said. Some villagers who tried to intervene were assaulted, he said, adding that Police have launched a drive in the forested stretches around the village to arrest the Maoists.

48

September 1

Maoists abducted Kanai Nayek, (34), a worker of the ruling CPI-M, from his house in Barkola village, six kilometers from Lalgarh area of West Midnapore District of West Bengal in the night of August 31. There was no trace of Kanai till late in the night of September 1. "We are searching the local jungles," said West Midnapore Police SP Manoj Verma. Some 50-armed men came to Kanai’s house and dragged him out, said a resident of Barkola village, adding, "They tied his hands with a towel and took him away."

49

September 2

About 60-armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the base office of SPML Road Construction Company under Chandramandi outpost of Chakai Police station, about 40 kilometers from the headquarters of Jamui District of Bihar, at around 11.30 pm and abducted eight of its security guards in Jamui District. Two of the guards, however, managed to escape during an encounter that later took place between the extremists and Police. The Maoists raided the SPML plant at Hariondhi village and damaged pay loaders and three trucks, the Additional Director General (Headquarters) Neelmani said. The Maoists also set ablaze six vans and damaged the store where construction materials were kept.

50

September 2

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a village guard in the Pachmo village under the Mahuatand Police station in Bokaro District of Jharkhand. Police sources said the Maoists killed Ramdhani Ganju suspecting him to be a Police informer. The incident occurred when Ganju was attending a function in his village on the occasion of Karma Puja (religious worship). Approximately 100 armed Maoists held Ganju captive and took him to a nearby community building and later chopped off his neck. The Maoists also left behind pamphlets at the spot which said, "Jo mukhbiri karega, uska yehi halat hoga (Police informers would be dealt in a similar manner)." Police later recovered Ganju's body from the incident site.

51

September 21

Scores of armed cadres and militia of CPI-Maoist attacked a party office of the ruling CPI-M at Enayetpur, 15 kilometres from Midnapore near Lalgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal in the afternoon triggering a gun battle that lasted till midnight. There was no casualty in the gun fight, but three persons suffered bullet injuries. The Maoist gunmen were reportedly led by Koteswar Rao alias Kishan and Bikash. According to sources, about 200 CPI-M supporters had assembled at the Enayetpur party office over the last three weeks, apparently to stop the Maoist advance towards Midnapore town. Many of them had also taken shelter there, with the Maoists killing CPM men almost every day. However, many of them had left the place in the morning to celebrate Eid festival. Only 50-odd CPI-M cadres held fort at the party office. In the afternoon, a 10,000-strong group of tribals, many of them carrying firearms, started marching towards the office, led by Kishan and Bikash. At 5pm (IST), the Maoist assault party started surrounding the building. The Maoists retreated after Security Force personnel reached the spot early on September 22.

52

October 8

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed at least 18 Policemen, including Sub-Inspector C. S. Deshmukh, in an ambush in the dense forests near Laheri Police Station in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. The incident occurred when a 40 member Police party came under heavy fire from 150 to 200 Maoists at about 1pm (IST) when it was returning after undertaking search operations following intelligence inputs that Maoists had assembled in the area. District Collector Atul Patne told, "As many as two platoons of BSF (50 personnel) and additional police force was rushed to the spot and they could manage to save the rest of the Policemen caught in the heavy fire." Police sources said that about 15 Maoists were also killed in the gun battle.

53

October 12

The Maoists set ablaze a rail office at Banshipur station of Lakhisarai District of Bihar. In a midnight attack, around 150 extremists stormed the railway station in the important Patna-Kiul-Jhajha section under the Danapur division of the East Central Railway and set ablaze a railway panel room besides destroying the traffic control system, railway officials said. Rail traffic in the section was halted for over six hours as a result, they said, adding the extremists stormed the station and took six railway officials, the station master and assistant station master on duty as hostages but let them off after warning them of dire consequences if they did not follow the extremists' diktat to stop movement of trains during their agitation, the officials said.

54

October 12-14

The Maoists bombed a tower of a private telecom firm and set ablaze a truck at Brindabazar in the Sheohar District of Bihar in the night of October 12. Around 45-50 insurgents arrived at Brindaban Bazaar, ordered the villagers not to venture out of their homes and destroyed a tower of the Airtel company, officials said on October 14. They later set ablaze a truck after asking its occupants to vacate it.

55

October 13

Over 100 CPI-Maoist cadres assembled at a block office building at Sangrampur in the Munger District of Bihar and detonated dynamites blasting the construction, officials said. Portions of the building collapsed in the powerful explosion which also destroyed furniture and gutted land revenue related documents. The Maoists also left pamphlets on the spot owning responsibility for the blast.

CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze three cellular phone towers in the Banke Bazaar Police Station area of Gaya District of Bihar. While two towers were set ablaze in Hussainganj village, the other was set ablaze in Baltharwa. However, the Gaya District Superintendent of Police, Sushil Khopde, said only two towers were set ablaze - one each in Hussainganj and Baltharwa villages. According to reports, the extremists — numbering several dozens who carried sophisticated weapons — leisurely walked to the mobile phone towers, pumped oil out of the generators supplying power to the towers and poured the same oil all around before putting the equipment on fire.

56

October 18

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist stabbed to death Birju Kiranga (32) from Kothi village in the Etapalli division of Gadchiroli District in the midnight alleging him of being a Police informer. Around 50 Maoists were involved in the killing, Police sources claimed.

57

October 20

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist raided Sankrail Police Station in West Midnapore District of West Bengal and shot dead two Police officers and kidnapped the officer-in-charge of the Police Station. They also looted INR 923,000 from a bank located nearby. The Maoists numbering around 50, including some women, arrived in two groups on motorcycles and headed for the Police Station and the State Bank of India branch nearby, Police said. At the Police Station, they opened fire killing the second officer Dibakar Bhattacharya and abducted Officer-In-Charge Atindranath Dutta and an Assistant Sub-Inspector Swapan Roy, sources said. The body of Roy was later found from a swamp some distance away, they said, adding, the Maoists took away all the arms and ammunition at the Police Station. Times of India adds that the Maoists left behind posters demanding the release of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) leader Chhatradhar Mahato and withdrawal of Security Forces from Lalgarh. The CPI-Maoist politburo member, Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan, claimed responsibility for the strike. "The Police officer is in our custody. He will be killed if any attempt is made by security forces to follow our comrades," he said in a statement later.

58

October 29

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office-bearer Jaisingh Manjhi, 40, and his two relatives in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. According to the Police, approximately 60 heavily-armed extremists entered Manjhi's home in the Chindgarh village at midnight. The extremists allegedly took Manjhi, his brother and nephew to a nearby field. "The rebels, it seems, slit the throats of Manji, his brother, Pileshwar, 37, and nephew Livir," said an unnamed Police officer in Dantewada. The villagers discovered the bodies in the field early in the morning of October 30. Pileshwar was a panchayat (village level local self Government institution) secretary in Kirkirpal village panchayat. Manji's wife Jamuna is the vice-chairperson of Janpad panchayat and was in New Delhi for official work. "Guerrillas stormed into a village in Kikirpal under Sukma block (administrative division) and butchered three middle-aged people with sharp edged weapons,' S. L. Baghel, Additional Superintendent of Police (Dantewada) said.

59

November 4

About 50 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the guest house of a steel company at Gajiagoda in the Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri District of Orissa around midnight and set it ablaze, the District Superintendent of Police (SP), Satyabrata Bhoi, said. The Maoists assaulted the guard of the guest house and stormed the building. The insurgents also assaulted two engineers of the company and locked them up in a nearby house, he said, adding that the two were later rescued.

60

November 7

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a primary school building in the Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh, Police said. Some 80-100 Maoists set explosives inside a primary school building in Phulpar village in the night of November 6 and destroyed a major portion, officials at the police headquarters in Raipur said. Education department officials said that Maoists over the past two years had set ablaze 80 school buildings in Dantewada and Bijapur Districts. Police said they have recovered leaflets from Maoist dominated areas in recent months in which the insurgents said they are targeting school and hospital buildings in Bastar region as these provide shelter to Security Force personnel for anti-Maoist operations.

61

November 16

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed a village chowkidar (guard) by slitting his throat at Badaki Hathia village in the Munger District of Bihar. Around 50 Maoists raided the village, captured the chowkidar and took him to an isolated place and killed him, the Police said.

62

November 16

The Maoists attacked a security camp at Khudisar under Dumri Police Station in Giridih District of Jharkhand, where the SFs were stationed for election duty. About 200 Maoists attacked the security camp and exchanged fire with the SFs. However, no one was injured. Vehicles of two election campaigners were also attacked and glass panes were damaged. The tyres of the cars were also punctured.

63

November 27

Armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two school buildings in the Gaya District of Bihar. About 200 insuregnts surrounded State-run primary schools at Sonedaha and Latua late in the night and blew up the buildings by detonating dynamites, they said.

64

November 29

In the Chatra District of Jharkhand, the Maoists blew up the house of RJD leader Chandrika Yadav in the Basisthnagar Police Station area at Jodi at around 11pm. About 100 armed Maoists surrounded the house and asked the family members to vacate the house, Superintendent of Police Jatin Narwal told reporters. The Maoists then packed dynamites in every room before triggering the blast, he said. The Maoists left notes warning against participation in the ensuing elections.

65

December 7

Three persons were killed and many others wounded by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Sheohar District of Bihar in the night. The Maoists numbering over 50 came on a truck to a market place at Dariani Chapra in the District and started firing indiscriminately killing three persons on the spot, they said.

66

December 8-9

About 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres raided Thema village in the Kanker District of Bastar region of Chhattisgarh and shot dead two brothers allegedly on charges of spying, Police said on December 9. The incident took place in the night of December 8. "Guerrillas raided the village and took away two brothers- Rakesh, 30, and Rajuram, 25, into a nearby forested area and shot them dead on charges of being police informers," Vishwa Ranjan, Director General of Police told IANS over the phone. He said the extremists shot at another civilian of the same village, Chabilal Markam. The villagers said Markam was taken to a Government hospital and was in a critical condition.

67

December 10

Police exchanged gunfire with a group of cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Satpati village in West Midnapore District of West Bengal in the night. While Police said no one was injured, a union minister of the Trinamool Congress, Mukul Roy, claimed one person was killed and six others injured in the gunbattle. An officer manning the control room told IANS that around 40-50 Maoists attacked the Pirakata outpost under Salboni police station around 8 p.m. "The police returned the fire. But there are no reports of any injury," the officer said.

68

December 17

A Government high school at Tiskopi under Gomia Police Station in Bokaro District of Jharkhand was blown up. Though 10 rooms of the school were damaged, there were no casualties reported. As many as seven blasts were triggered by the Maoists to demolish the school building. Sources said Maoists had earlier threatened the school management to stop allowing Security Force (SF) personnel, who used the school as camps during the anti-Maoist operations, to stay there. Still, the SFs again camped at the school for the third phase of the Assembly election that concluded on December 8. After they left the building a couple of days back, 50 armed Maoists came to the school at around 11pm (IST) and detonated the landmines. Before leaving, they put up posters on the walls of the school, describing the explosion as revenge taken by them against Police personnel using schools as a camp. Another school was blown up in the Kawal village of Palamau District. Maoists also blew up a small bridge near Kahkula and Seriyar villages in the same District.

69

December 18

Maoists numbering about 200 entered the premises of prosperous farmers Arun Kumar Singh, Sunit Kumar Singh and his brother Manoj Kumar Singh located at village Lakrihaar under the Dharhara Police Station in the Munger District of Bihar and looted about 400 mounds of paddy stacked there. The extremists loaded the paddy on the tractor of farmer Arun Kumar Singh and drove towards the forest area. When the caretakers protested, the Maoists set ablaze a go down as a result of which furniture were reduced to ashes, Police said, adding the Maoists also assaulted the caretaker.

70

December 19

Armed Maoists blew up a state-run school building at Karma village the Aurangabad District of Bihar, Police sources said. Around 50 Maoists surrounded the vacant school building, planted dynamites and blew it up, sources said. No harm was caused to anybody.

71

December 19

The Maoists reportedly had damaged three Government buildings, including the local panchayat (village level local self Government situation) office, at Relhatur in Sundergarh District of Orissa. Around 100 armed Maoists stormed into Relhatur village and blew up the panchayat office and its adjoining panchayat store building. An eyewitness said the Maoists were shouting anti-Government slogans, daring villagers to call the Police. The extremists also pasted hand written posters at nearby villages of Rengeda and Topadih. The people of Mahupada, Jharbeda, Relhatur, Sanbalijore and Nangalkata village had earlier left their houses out of fear and staged a dharna (protest) before K Balang Police Station and NH No 215 demanding security. The villagers had returned only three days ago, after security camps were opened in their villages. The District administration had held a "civil action" programme at Relhatur on December 17 and announced several development programmes and appealed to villagers to cooperate with police to tackle the menace in their area. Superintendent of Police (Rourkela) Diptesh Patnaik said additional Police force with senior officers will be rushed to Relhatur and joint combing operation will be intensified.

72

December 23

Armed Maoists set ablaze seven vehicles of a private road construction firm at Badiha village in the Rohtas District of Bihar. Around 200 extremists stormed the office of S. N. P. Infrastructure, confined its employees in a room and set ablaze the vehicles, the Police said. None of the employees were harmed in the incident, the Police said. Three road rollers, two pay loaders and a water tanker were among the vehicles set ablaze. The private road construction firm was engaged in construction of a National Highway between Dehri-on-Sone and Tilauthu in Rohtas District. Patrolling was intensified after the incident and a combing operation launched, the Police said.

73

December 27

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a State run school building at Birhni village in the Aurangabad District of Bihar, Police said. Over 200 extremists surrounded the school building and detonated dynamites to blow up the school building. Four rooms of the school collapsed in the blast, the police said.

74

December 29

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist detonated dynamites to blow up a school building at Jurati village in the Aurangabad District of Bihar. Around 200 extremists surrounded the State-run school and triggered blasts partially damaging its building, Police said. A Police patrol soon arrived and engaged the extremists in an encounter for more than two hours. Police recovered two can bombs, cable wires and several Police uniforms besides Naxal literature from the spot.

75

December 31

Armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two school buildings in Aurangabad of Bihar, Police said. Over 200 extremists surrounded a State-run school at Chandaur and blew the building with dynamites, Superintendent of Police (SP, Aurangabad) N.K. Tiwari said.

1.

January 2

A 200-strong mob including cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) set ablaze three trucks at Bulanpur village under Goaltore Police Station in West Midnapore District of West Bengal.

2.

January 2

Around 50 armed Cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) blew up a gram panchayat (village level self-Government institution) office building and a go down at Panasput in Chitrakonda area in Malkangiri District of Orissa.

3.

January 11

Over 50 cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) armed with sophisticated weapons drove the labourers out of their makeshift tents and set ablaze several bridge construction machines late in the night at Chamotola in the East Champaran District of Bihar.

4.

January 18

Over 100 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres blew up a railway track near Nadaul railway station in the Jehanabad District of Bihar.

5.

January 18

About 70 CPI-Maoist cadres led by Nakul Yadav and about 25 member Jharkhand Chhattisgarh Simant Committee (JCSC) squad led by Sanjay Yadava exchanged fire for more than half an hour at Machi village under Kisko Police Station area in Lohardaga District of Jharkhand. No casualty from either side was reported.

6.

January 20

A group of 50 cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) along with around 100 supporters damaged one mobile communication tower each of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Airtel at Kudumulguma village in Malkangiri District of Orissa in the night. The Maoists also destroyed a licensed India Made Foreign Liquor Shop (IMFL) shop in the same village.

7.

January 21

A group around 50 cadres and supporters of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) poured petroleum products in machine rooms of three telecommunication towers belonging to BSNL, Airtel and Idea and set them ablaze in Konwai village in Palamu District of Jharkhand in the night.

8.

January 24

Around 50 cadres of CPI-Maoist stopped six trucks on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh highway on the midnight of by damaging the road in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The Maoists did not attack the drivers.

9.

January 25

Over 60 cadres of the CPI-Maoist laid siege to the iron ore mines of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at Kalta under Koira Police limits in Orissa for two hours. They opened a few rounds of blank fire forcing over 3,400 workers to stop mining works.

10.

February 1

About 2000 Maoists and the PCPA cadres attacked a Police Station triggering an exchange of fire with the Security Force personnel in the Bankura District of West Bengal. The mob with men marching behind women had ringed the Police Station to protest stepped-up patrols in the area after a spurt in Maoist attacks. Six women were hit in the Police firing. Two died on way to hospital. Six Policemen were also injured from spears and other sharp weapons. Urmila Singh Sardar, a Maoist women’s squad leader and wife of Maoist leader Rajaram Sardar, was arrested after she tripped and fell. Three more Maoists were arrested later.

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 of West Bengal. 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.

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.