Bihar Timeline 2009

Date

Incidents

January 1

Three CPI-Maoist cadres including an 'area commander', were arrested and arms and ammunition, including a pistol, six rounds of cartridges, were recovered by the Police following an encounter during a search operation at the house of the village head of Dhankaul in the Begusarai District. The 'area commander', identified as Radhey Sah alias Shyam Sahni, was wanted in several cases, including an incident of dynamite blasting on the house of Dinesh Singh, a leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), murder of one Rampukar Chaurasia and forceful acquisition of land of a relative of Excise Minister Jamshed Ashraf. The two others arrested were identified as Hare Krishna Mahto and Surendra Paswan. The village head man, identified as Upendra Choudhary, was also detained by the Police for harbouring the insurgents.

Security was stepped up at Bihar's Aurangabad District jail and Police Stations were put on high alert after receiving a phone call from suspected cadres of CPI-Maoist, threatening to carry out a jailbreak. "Additional armed forces have been deployed at Aurangabad District jail. The Police do not want to take any chances after threat of a Jehanabad-like jailbreak," the Assistant Superintendent of Police, A.R. Singh, said. Aurangabad is one of the four Districts of south Bihar affected by Maoist violence where dozens of Maoists, including their 'commanders', 'zonal commanders' and 'area commanders', are lodged in the District jail.

Addressing the conference of Chief Ministers in New Delhi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that a INR 2.91 billion proposal for modernizing the Police in Bihar was submitted to the 13th Finance Commission recently but the Centre was not releasing funds as the previous State Government had not submitted utilization certificates for four years from 2001. Nitish Kumar said his Government would appoint 13,000 constables and Assistant Sub Inspector to increase the Police-population ratio in Bihar.

The Bihar Government has also sanctioned a sum of INR 70 million from the Bihar Contingency Fund to be spent on acquisition of 133.28 acres of land meant for the Bihar Police Academy. Two battalions of Bihar Military Police (BMP) would be raised in Bettiah (BMP-15) and Saharsa (BMP-12) for which process of land acquisition is already continuing. Since the 65 Panchayats (village-level self-Government institutions) of seven Districts are Maoist-infested, the State Government is focusing on the recruitment among the constabulary rank, besides making special efforts to modernise the Police force.

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including a senior 'area commander', were arrested by the Police during a search operation at Bhagwanpur Matia village in the Jehanabad District. According to the Jehanabad Superintendent of Police (SP), Manu Mahraj, "the self-styled area commander of Maoists, Uday Yadav, who was absconding since Jehanabad jailbreak in 2005, was arrested along with two country made carbines and four country made pistols." The other Maoists were identified as Ashok Yadav, Madhusudan Yadav, Ajay Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav and Mahesh Choudhary. Police also recovered two locally-made carbines, four pistols and 38 live cartridges and Police belts.

Two arms suppliers of the JLT, also known as People's Front of India, identified as Santosh Yadav alias Mukesh and Sumant Kumar, belonging to the Bhurkhunda Ekma village of Gumla District of Jharkhand, were arrested by Police outside the Bakhtiyarpur railway Station in Patna District (Bihar). Yadav, who had to receive a consignment of ammunition -.3006 bore, .303 and .315 bore cartridges - from Kanpur, was arrested on suspicion. During interrogation, Yadav revealed details of his modus operandi and disclosed the names of the Kanpur supplier of arms and ammunition and also the name of Dinesh Gope, the JLT member who was to receive ammunition from him. Sumant was also found involved in this clandestine deal of arms and was subsequently arrested. A sum of INR 400000 was also recovered from him. Yadav said that on three earlier occasions he had supplied arms and ammunition to Gope. To date, 10,000 cartridges have been supplied to the Jharkhand Maoists, he disclosed to the Police.

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. 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.

Three CPI-Maoist cadres, along with eight under-trial prisoners, escaped from the Jammui District civil court premises 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.

A group of armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist intercepted 11 cement laden trucks, dragged out the drivers and set them ablaze during their Bandh call in the Tumba and Ranjeetganj road of Rohtas District. According to the Additional Director General of Police Neelmani, the CPI-Maoist has called for a 24-hour shutdown in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa.

A State Auxiliary Police personnel, identified as Om Prakash Tiwary, and a suspected cadre of the CPI-Maoist were killed during an encounter at Chaturpatti village under Paro Police Station in the Muzaffarpur District. The Additional Director General of Police, Krishna Chaudhary, said there could be more casualties among the Maoists as Police had found blood trails in a mustard field, indicating that injured or slain Maoists had been dragged during retreat.

Maoists blew up a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited mobile tower at Nayakagawn village under Dumaria Police Station of Gaya District during their general shut down call.

Groups of CPI-Maoist cadres forcefully entered into the premises of the Government administered primary and high schools and unfurled black flags to mark their boycott of official Republic Day functions in the Pakridayal sub-division of East Champaran District.

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.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a portion of a bridge over a canal with dynamites to obstruct the movement of Police vehicles at Deo-Baluganj Road near Berhni village in the Aurangabad District. The SP, Ganesh Kumar, said the bridge was blown up apparently to prevent large Police vans and armoured vehicles from reaching Maoist strongholds of Baluganj and Ketaki.

A driver was among three suspects arrested and a huge cache of explosives, including 4000 gelatine sticks weighing about 600 kilograms meant for supply to the CPI-Maoist, was recovered by the Police from a vehicle at Grand Trunk Road under the Barachatti Police Station of Gaya District. According to Police sources, the explosives bear production marks of Hyderabad and were to be delivered to a CPI-Maoist 'area commander'. The three suspects were identified as Mohammed Zahid of Chatarbar in Koderma and Sawood Khan alias Bholu of Hamzapur of Gaya District in Bihar and driver Shahzad of Hindpiri from Ranchi District in Jharkhand.

As a part of its rehabilitation scheme to bring CPI-Maoist cadres into the mainstream, the Bihar Government distributed INR 500000 amongst 16 surrendered Maoists, including an 'area commander', in the Muzzaffarpur District.

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. 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.

Three cadres of the former MCC, presently known as CPI-Maoist, identified as Vyas Kahar, Naresh Paswan and Yugal Mochi, were sentenced to death while three others, identified as Tyagi Mahto, Vijay Yadav and Madhusudan Sharma, were acquitted by a TADA court in Gaya for the massacre of 35 persons at Bara village in the Gaya District. The MCC's armed cadres brought the 35 persons of Bara village to the bank of a nearby canal, tied their hands and slit their throats on February 12, 1992. Earlier on 2001, a TADA court had sentenced four MCC cadres to death in the same case.

The Police lodged FIRs against four persons, identified as Ajit Yadav, head of Lalpur Panchayat, his body-guard, Rambhuj Ravidas, head of Mahudar Panchayat and Jamuna Ravidas, a resident of Tisri Police Station area of Giridih District and 150 CPI-Maoist cadres in Kauakaul Police Station, in connection with the killing of 10 Policemen in a Maoist attack on February 9 in the Nawada District.

A six-member Police team headed by a SHO escaped unhurt when suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a landmine explosion in the Gaya District. The landmine exploded seconds before the armoured vehicle carrying the Police party was returning from Gaya, said Superintendent of Police Malar Vizzi.

CPI-Maoist cadres attacked a brick kiln as the owner of the kiln did not give any heed to their 'levy' demand under Sadar Police Station of Vaishali District.

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. The Maoists also left behind pamphlets that warned of more such attacks.

CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a bridge using dynamite near Baghaura under Roh Police Station in the Nawada District.

The Bihar Government sanctioned INR 199.3 million under the Police modernisation scheme for construction of buildings to accommodate 300 Police officials in six CPI-Maoist affected Districts of Nawada, Jamui, Jehanabad, Arwal, Aurangabad and Bhabua. The Additional Director General of Police, Neelmani, said that 184 and 108 lower grade and upper subordinate quarters under the separate family accommodation scheme would be constructed by the Bihar State Police Building Construction Corporation.

A Bihar Military Police constable, identified as Rajesh Kumar, who had sustained injuries in an attack by the CPI-Maoist cadres on Police personnel in the Nawada District on February 9, succumbed to his injuries at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

The armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist ransacked a village and later killed the village headman, identified as Neeraj Kumar Mukul, after dragging him out of his house in the Rohua Panchayat under Shyampur Vatha Police Station in the Sheohar District. Maoists are said to have strong cadre base in at least 50 villages of this area and regularly collect money from extortion, fake currency racket as well as donations from villagers to run their operation. In last five years, more than 12 village headmen have been killed in the area, adds the report.

A senior CPI-Maoist commander and central committee member of the outfit, identified as Satyendra Kushwaha alias Naresh alias Dadan, was arrested by Police from the Dalmianagar area of Rohtas District on February 25. According to Police sources, Satyendra, the Songanga-Vindhyachal 'zonal commander' of the outfit and in-charge of Rohtas, Bhojpur, Kaimur and Buxar Districts, was wanted in several cases of violence, including the 2005 Jehanabad jailbreak, the killing of Police personnel in encounters and landmine blasts. He was also operating in the Mirzapur, Chandauli and Sonbhadra Districts of Uttar Pradesh and Garhwa District of Jharkhand.

About 50 armed CPI-Maoist cadres held a 'Jan Adalat' (People's Court) in the Banke Bazaar area of Gaya District. 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.

About 24 armed CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze a railway Station in the Munger District after asking people to move out.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up 150 feet of railway tracks at Bhalui halt between Kiul and Jhajha in the Jamui District on the Howrah-Delhi mainline.

Two communication towers were damaged by the Maoists in two separate incidents. "While a BSNL mobile tower was damaged in Aurangabad District, another mobile tower of a private service provider was damaged in Rohtas District," the Police said. "We have put all the Districts on high alert and reinforcements in Naxal-affected Districts were sent in advance to thwart any possible Maoist attack," said a senior Police official.

SFs belonging to the Special Task Force and CRPF destroyed a large quantity of opium in a CPI-Maoist dominated Sankhwa village in the Gaya District. "We got information that there is a huge quantity of opium growing in this field. So a team of STF, and CRPF came to destroy the crop. We found around 10 acres under opium cultivation. The entire village has been vacated. People have left their houses. We are trying to find out the persons behind this opium cultivation," said Jay Prakash Pandit, a Police official in Barachatti. Police suspect Maoist involvement behind the cultivation of opium in the village.

The suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed two women and two children of a family by slitting their throat in connection with a land dispute case at Pachubigha village in the Arwal District. The victims have been identified as Pluleshwari Devi, mother of Nageshwar Mahto, his wife Lakhmani Devi and daughters Ritu (3) and Mitu (5) The Police suspect that Avadhesh Singh, a distant cousin of Mahto hired Maoists to take revenge of the land dispute controversy. Nageshwar was not at home when the incident took place. Before leaving the place the Maoist cadres left a leaflet which threatens Nageshwar with eliminating other members of his family if he did not settle the dispute in favour of Avadhesh Singh.

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. 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.

A CPI-Maoist 'area commander', identified as Ravidas alias Badal, was lynched to death by a group of civilians at Khaira village in the Lakhisarai District. According to Police sources, Ravidas had entered the house of a person, identified as Devendra Yadav, and started threatening the family members at gunpoint. "When women in the family started shouting, a group of villagers gathered there and beat him to death," sources added.

The Special Task Force of Police arrested three CPI-Maoist cadres, including a 'zonal commander', identified as Bhupendra Baitha, during a search operation at Ismailpur near Gaya railway Station. Baitha, carrying a head money of INR 25,000, was wanted in nearly 24 cases of violence in the Gaya, Aurangabad and Rohtas Districts of Bihar and in the Palamu District of Jharkhand.

In retaliation to the lynching of a CPI-Maoist 'commander' on March 11, armed Maoists raided Khaira village in the Lakhisarai District and shot dead three men and injured two women. The victims were identified as Damodar Yadav, Mukesh Yadav and Wakil Yadav and the injured were identified as Usha Devi and Rahvo Devi.

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. "Most of the officials and workers engaged in construction of the embankment fled after the attack," said an unnamed Police official.

The Bihar-Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh special area committee of the CPI-Maoist called for a boycott of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in April and May 2009. "After five years of misrule, India is again going for election. The present Lok Sabha election will empower the political parties to misrule the State for another five years… Another political mandate for five years will promote hunger and repression against common people the country. The policies of next Government will only increase the unemployment," a press release issued by the Maoists said.

A group of armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up the railway tracks between the Buraru and Pairayya Stations of Gaya District. The blast uprooted both the up and down tracks and damaged the overhead traction wires.

Two persons were arrested when Police recovered a cache of explosives, including 17 electronic detonators and five kilograms of explosive materials, 20 meter fuse wires, from their possession at Patan village in the Munger District.

Four persons were arrested and around 2000 kilograms of explosives meant for the CPI-Maoist were recovered by the Police at Haji Suhanpur in the Munger District. "A vehicle loaded with 38 bags containing 1900 kg of explosives mostly ammonium nitrate were found in a Police raid," said the DSP Ashok Kumar. The arrested persons were identified as, Ishwari Begum, wife of Mohammed Salam who is believed to be an explosives supplier, Gorelal Yadav, Fantush Yadav and Jai Ram Yadav.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres, including an 'area commander' identified as Shankar Yadav, were arrested while many others managed to escape during a search operation by the Police in the Chandauti Police Station area of Gaya District. Shankar was involved in several cases of Maoist violence, including the attack on the Paraiya Police Station a few years back in which four Policemen were killed. The other arrestee was identified as Raj Bhallabh, a school student, who is also a fresh recruit.

Police arrested a CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Shambhu Da alias Bablu, during a search operation at Parsando village in the Munger District. Shambhu was involved in as many as 12 cases of violence, including the murder of Kharagpur block ruling Janata Dal-United party president Manoj Singh and a retired Superintendent of Police, Munger, K. C. Surendra Babu, said Sunil Nayak, the Superintendent of Police. A pistol and a magazine were recovered from the arrested Maoist, he added.

With 19 out of the 40 Parliamentary constituencies facing a threat from the CPI-Maoist, the State has urged the Centre to provide four Helicopters to be used in election-related works during the general elections scheduled to be held in April and May. The constituencies facing a Maoist threat fall under the Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Jehanabad, Munger, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali Districts. According to an unnamed senior Police official, "These choppers would be used for undertaking rescue operations in case Naxalites attack polling personnel or the Security Forces during polls." The Bihar Police is also undertaking a rigorous exercise of mapping the areas facing the most potent threat from Maoists and the information would be provided to the Election Commission which would be used as an input while deciding the force deployment during the polls.

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 in the early hours. However, no casualties were reported in the attack, Police said.

A hardcore Naxalite, Deonath alias Jokhu Singh, who was wanted in connection with a incident at Madhuban, was arrested from a village in East Champaran District. Acting on a tip-off, a Police team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Anand raided a house in Mahmada village and arrested Deonath.

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

Around 150 suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist attempted to explode a Government school using dynamite at Ketaki village in the Aurangabad District. 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.

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. The school was two kilometers from the ground where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was to address an election rally hours later.

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.

Handwritten posters of the Maoists threatening villagers that their hands would be chopped if they vote in the coming general election in April and May were found in the Gaya District. "The hands of anyone casting a vote would be chopped," read one poster in Hindi language. The posters, pasted on walls, trees, schools, Panchayat buildings, also warn middlemen to stay away from the election process. According to an unnamed Gaya District administration official, "Maoists pasted posters at villages in Bankabazar, Barachatti, Dumaria, Imamganj and Amas blocks of Shergathi sub-division in Gaya."

In the wake of Maoist threats, the Election Commission decided to reduce the voting time in nine assembly segments spread over four parliamentary constituencies - Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya and Jamui - which would go to polls in the first phase on April 16. Voting would start at 7 am in these assembly segments, as is the case in other segments, but it would conclude at 3 pm, two hours prior to the scheduled time of 5 pm when voting would come to an end in other assembly segments. The assembly segments where reduced time would be available for voting are Chainpur and Chenari in Sasaram, Kutumba, Rafiganj and Imamganj segments in Aurangabad, Barachatti in Gaya and Sikandra, Jhajha and Chakai in Jamui.

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. However, no causalities were reported.

An unspecified number of armed CPI-Maoist cadres intercepted the vehicle of a candidate belonging to the Shoshit Samaj Dal (a local political party) for Aurangabad Parliamentary constituency, identified as America Mahto, dragged him and his six supporters out, assaulted him and set ablaze his vehicle near Dadamchilmi village in the Aurangabad District.

CPI-Maoist cadres forcefully entered into Gosain-Besra village and blew up a Government primary school housing polling Station of the Gaya Parliamentary constituency. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in the State between April 16 and May 7.

Eleven CPI-Maoist cadres were killed and one BSF personnel injured during a seven hour long encounter at Dhansa Ghati in the Rohtas District. 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."

A group of CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze the campaign vehicle of a candidate belonging to the ruling Janata Dal (United) for Karakat Parliamentary seat, identified as Mahabali Singh, in Aurangabad.

Armed CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead two Security Force (SF) personnel, including a Police constable and a Home Guard, at Singhpur village in the Gaya District. The slain Police constable was identified as Vishwambhar Choudhary while the Home Guard was identified as Ramdeo Khair. A spokesman for the State election office said "An estimated 40 to 45 per cent of a little over 1.75 crore voters exercised their franchise," during the first phase of polling for the 13 of the 40 Parliamentary constituencies in Bihar. Polling was held for Gopalganj, Maharajganj, Ara, Gaya, Buxar, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nawada, Saran, Sasaram, Siwan, Karakat and Jamui seats.

Heavily-armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked workers carrying out repair and broadening of the National Highway in Gaya District and set ablaze the earth-movers. However, no casualties were reported, Superintendent of Police M.R. Naik said.

Security Forces (SFs) arrested two Maoists and seized arms and ammunition from them following a gun-battle at Nilampar village in the Jehanabad District. Acting on a tip-off that nearly 100 Maoists had taken shelter in the village and were planning an attack, a joint team comprising the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and State Armed Police personnel surrounded the village following which an encounter ensued. While the rest of the Maoists managed to escape from the incident site, the SFs arrested two Maoists.

The CPI-Maoist called for a Jharkhand-Bihar general shutdown on April 22, a day before the second phase of parliamentary elections, in protest against the "killing of five villagers" by CRPF personnel at Barhania valley in Latehar District in Jharkhand on April 15. The encounter occurred immediately after a landmine explosion was carried out by the Maoists. The CRPF personnel claimed that the five were Naxalites, but villagers said they were innocent.

Three incidents involving the CPI-Maoist were reported from Bihar. Maoists set ablaze three oil tankers and five trucks on the main GT road in Gaya District. A truck driver who was shot at is reportedly critical and has been hospitalised. Separately, Maoists have taken over a polling Station in the Aadapur block of Motihari District and have reportedly planted two bombs at the venue. In the Aurangabad District, the insurgents blew up a community centre in Deo block. However, no causalities were reported in the incident.

The Union Government deployed 3,600 central paramilitary personnel in Bihar, two days before the second phase of elections to the parliament. With this the total deployment of paramilitary forces has gone up to 16,600.

Four Security Force personnel and a civilian were killed in a landmine explosion triggered by the CPI-Maoist near Karpoori Chowk in the Mohabbatpur village of Muzaffarpur District. A civilian driver also sustained serious injuries in the blast. The victims were all part of an Election Commission team and were returning to deposit the Electronic Voting Machines in the Vaishali parliamentary constituency.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a State Government building under the Human Resource Development department during their 48 hour Bandh call in the Imamganj Police Station area of Gaya District.

Security has been beefed up across Bihar following a 48-hour Bandh called by the CPI-Maoist in four States -Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa - against non-compliance with their call for boycotting the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections from the midnight of May 20. "Security measures have been tightened at vital installations, including those of Railways, often soft target of Maoist attacks, and Police Stations have been put on maximum alert," said S. K. Bharadwaj Inspector General (Operations).

A CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Maan Dev, was arrested and a cache of arms and explosives, including a pistol, 150 hand grenades, 5,500 detonators, 460 live cartridges of revolver, seven magazines of SLR and carbine, was recovered from his possession during a search operation by the STF at East Mohan Bigaha village in Rohtas District. Some survey maps of Patna and Kaimur-Rohtas ranges, geographical maps of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh along with laser lights, CDs of past Maoist operations, compass, T-shirts and sarees for women Maoist cadres, DVDs and Maoist literatures were also recovered by Police. The arrested Maoist is a native of Joga village in the Palamu District of Jharkhand.

The CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead a dacoit for allegedly extorting money from people by posing himself as a Maoist in the East Champaran District. "Bihkara Prasad was shot dead by Naxals at Bihsunpur village in the District on Sunday. After killing him the rebels fled, leaving behind leaflets saying those trying to malign the organisation would also face the same consequence," said M. K. Anand, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Pakridayal sub-division.

The dead body of Surendra Yadav, a farmer, was found lying in a field near Navranga village in Gaya District. A group of more than 20 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres had abducted Surendra Yadav and Krishna Yadav, also a farmer, from Maksudpur village in the night of June 3. However, Krishna was reportedly freed.

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, 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).

The Gaya District Superintendent of Police, M. R. Naik, said the Maoists and Police exchanged fire as the Police party returning from the incident site was fired upon by the insurgents. However, no casualty was reported from either side.

A large amount of explosives and detonators were recovered in a joint operation by the Special Task Force and Nalanda Police from a truck on the Nalanda-Biharshairf Road. The Police also arrested five hardcore CPI-Maoist cadres, including Prawesh Mishra, the brother of top Maoist leader Promod Mishra. The Inspector General of Police (Special Branch), Binay Kumar, said, "Initial interrogation has revealed that the explosives were loaded on the truck in Koderma (in Jharkhand) and was on its way to Nepal. Perhaps the explosives would have been down loaded in between." Over one ton of explosives and 6,000 detonators were detected on a truck camouflaged as a truck carrying stone chips.

The CPI-Maoist cadres ambushed a Police team at a court premises in the Lakhisarai District and freed Misir Besra, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and Polit bureau of the CPI-Maoist, after shooting a Policeman dead and hurling bombs to scare away people. The District Development Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan, who was sitting in his office adjacent to the court complex, sustained splinter injuries as bombs were hurled freely by nearly 30 Maoists who entered the court premises on motorcycles, S.K. Bhardwaj, the Inspector-General of Police (Operations), said. The ambush of the Police team took place when Besra was being taken out of the court. The Maoists also snatched away a carbine and two rifles from the Police escort team. The District borders were later sealed and a massive manhunt was launched. "The Police located them near a river on the town outskirts and were chased by Policemen travelling in a Mine Proof Vehicle (MPV). However, the motorcyclists drove through the river and the MPV could not follow them. But the Police managed to nab two Maoists and seize two motorcycles," Bhardwaj said.

A ''commander'' of the Sone-Punpun 'Area Committee' of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Sunil Kahar, was arrested from near Koriam Chowki in Arwal District. Kahar, a native of Chattanbigha village under Karpi Police Station of the District, was wanted in connection with nearly a dozen cases of Maoist violence.

The Maoists blew up a building of a cultural centre at Thikathiya village in the Aurangabad District and triggered a blast at a mobile tower at Kharati village in Gaya District. "These two incidents were part of the bid to execute the Bandh," the Additional Director General of Police, Neelmani, said.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a bus near Ramnagar village under Tirhut division in Muzaffarpur District during a Bandh (shutdown) called by the outfit at Tirhut. However, no one was injured in the incident. The Bandh was called to protest against the murder of a Maoist, Jagdish Mahto, whose body was recovered by Police from the banks of a river near Piprakothi in East Champaran District a week ago.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a JCB excavator, an earthmoving machine, at Niyamatpur in Gaya District. Police said the insurgents torched the excavator machine when they did not find anybody around.

Stating that there has been steady decrease in the crime graph in the State, Bihar Government said it would strengthen policing to combat Maoist insurgency and constitute an Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) to tackle terrorism, PTI reported. "Highest allocation of INR 2,557 crore for the year 2009-10 has been made for good governance and for better policing... There has been steady decline in the crime graph in recent years," Water Resources Development Vijendra Prasad Yadav told State Legislative Council. The minister in-charge of home department said the Government was committed to provide better policing to combat the Maoists, adds Zee News.

To strengthen the force, the Government has increased the number of State Auxiliary Police (SAP) force from 5000 in 2006 to 11500 considering its better performance particularly in tackling the Naxalites, Yadav added. The minister said that 712 newly appointed sub-inspectors' have completed their training and 10311 constables had already been recruited and the process to recruit 12877 constables were on. To tackle Maoists, the Government has started 'Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwar' scheme (Government at your doorstep) in seven Maoist-affected Districts of Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Rohtas, Munger, West Champaran and East Champaran under which development and welfare schemes were initiated. The State Government has prepared an outline to constitute the ATS on the lines of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. To impart better and modern training to the Police, the Government has initiated the process to set up a modern Police training centre (Bihar Police Academy) at Rajgir in Nalanda District, Yadav said. The Government also wanted to establish a model Police Station in every District (a total of 40) for the Government had cleared INR 1.12 crore for every such Station, he said. The minister said that Government had sanctioned a contingency fund of INR 25,000 for Police Stations in urban areas, INR 15,000 for such Stations situated in Maoist-affected area and INR 10,000 for other Stations.

A Bandh (shutdown) called by the CPI-Maoist in Bihar to protest against rising prices of essential commodities began in the night of July 21 with the extremists blowing up a house of their rival Revolutionary Communist Centre (RCC) 'commander' Vinod Marandi. As the Bandh began, over 100 Maoists raided Diha village near Gaya and blew Marandi's house in the same night.

A Maoist, identified as Dharmendra Yadav, was arrested from the Barachati Police Station area in Gaya in the morning of July 22, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said. All Police Stations have been put on alert, he said, adding patrolling has been intensified in vulnerable pockets in Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nawada, Aurangabad, Kaimur,Rohtas, Banka, Munger, Lakhisarai and Jamui Districts. Railway tracks were also being patrolled.

Police and the STF in a joint operation arrested four CPI-Maoist cadres in Gaya District and recovered 200 live cartridges and three cellular phones from them. The arrestees were identified as Ramadha Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ram Janam and Parshuram, whom the Police described as being active cadres of the Moist Communist Centre. The four CPI-Maoists cadres were arrested when they were reportedly waiting to deliver the consignment of cartridges, Police said. "We had gone there (at the destination to exchange arms), stopped our vehicle, our friends took time to reach the place. We were calling them, but got caught by the Police," said one of the arrested CPI-Maoists, Umesh Yadav.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist exploded the house of a village chief at Nadaura in the Gurua Police Station of Gaya District, the Police said on July. Around 50 Maoists raided the village in the night of July 27 and detonated a dynamite to blow up the house of Rajendra Yadav after getting it vacated by the occupants, Police sources added. However, no casualty was reported.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres on July 29 shot dead a Panchayat (village-level local self Government institution) head in the Muzaffarpur District as he refused to pay levy to the extremists, Police said. The victim, identified as Premchand, head of Paigampur Panchayat, was killed outside his residence by a group of armed Maoists at Dera Chowk in Minapur block, an unnamed Police officer said. The village head had been demanding security from the State Government fearing a threat to his life. He also had sought help from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by appealing in the local dailies a few months ago. Earlier, Premchand's brother was killed by the Maoists who have been demanding levy from the rich people of Minapur.

137 Policemen have been killed while 197 rifles and 6,342 rounds of ammunition were looted by the Maoists at different places in Bihar since January 1, 2003, the Energy Minister Vijendra Yadav said. Replying on behalf of the State Government in the Legislative Assembly, Yadav said that according to figures compiled by the Bihar Police, 137 Policemen lost their lives in violence perpetrated by the Maoists between January 1, 2003 and May 31, 2009. Asserting that the State Government was firm in its resolve to contain the Maoist activities, he said vacancies in 210 posts for sub-inspectors, inspectors and deputy superintendents to be deployed in the Maoist-affected areas would be filled soon. Further, the Special Auxilliary Police (SAP) personnel were also engaged in tackling the Maoists. Steps have also been taken for recruitment of over 6,500 SAP personnel on contract to engage them in Police operations against the insurgents, he added.

The Patna High Court directed the State Government to give reply to a letter petition converted into a PIL which has sought direction to the State Government to provide employment opportunities to Naxalites (left wing extremists) and bring them into mainstream. A Division Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice Shivakirti Singh and Justice Anjana Prakash passed the order on the PIL of P K Das who submitted that the State Government had announced such a move but failed to provide Naxalites an opportunity to eschew violence and lead a normal life. The court gave four weeks' time to the Government to file a counter affidavit to the PIL.

Police in Patna, capital of Bihar, arrested seven CPI-Maoist cadres, including the area commander of Sone-Punpun area committee, from Paliganj in the night of August 5. They were identified as Ganesh alias Ganesh Bhagwan, a resident of Imamganj, Manoj Kumar, Rajit Kumar, Upendra Kumar, Nand Kumar, Upendra Gupta and Ramswaroop Paswan alias Naresh Paswan alias Mahesh, all residents of Karpi in Arwal, and Kasinath, a resident of Begumpur in Patna. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Vineet Vinayak, said on August 6 that the Maoists were arrested while they were on way to Gurua in Gaya District, carrying sheets of bullet-proof jackets to show them to their seniors so that their outfit could procure it. He said besides the metal-sheets, Maoist literature was also seized from their possession. Vinayak said Ganesh alias Ganesh Bhagwan was an accused in a case of looting of five Police rifles in Arwal in 1999. He was released from jail about 10 months back and elevated to the rank of 'area commander'. Ganesh was also involved in the blasting of towers of a private cellular phone company in Paliganj few months back, he added.

A 'area commander' of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Akhileshwar Paswan alias Akhilesh Ram, was arrested from Bhadwa Bazaar area in the Aurangabad District. The Superintendent of Police, Nishikant Kumar Tiwari, said the Police, on specific information, raided the locality and arrested Akhileshwar Paswan who was wanted in several cases of Maoist activities in Aurangabad and adjoining Districts.

Police seized a cache of explosive materials after detaining a person who was carrying them near Kunda village in the Sheikhpura District. The Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Santosh Kumar Gupta, said on August 19 that Police during patrolling in the night of August 18 intercepted a vehicle on Sheikhpura-Puraina road near Kunda village, about three kilometres from the District headquarters, and arrested Mohammad Wahid for illegally carrying 76 packets of gelatine sticks and 100 kilograms of ammonium nitrate.

The CPI-Maoist cadres in Bihar, where 26 of the 38 Districts have been declared as drought-hit, have been guarding water resources in their villages to prevent from being misused by neighbouring villagers. The Maoists in Gaya District have entrusted themselves the job so that they have enough water to irrigate their land. "We are guarding water as there is shortage of water to irrigate the land. We also need water for our animals. Neighbouring villagers will take the water and we will be deprived of it," said an unnamed Maoist.

The Bihar Government has sought the inclusion of four more Maoist insurgency-affected Districts under the SRE. Apart from 15 out of the 38 revenue Districts covered under the scheme at present, similar treatment is required for four more revenue Districts affected by the insurgency, the Inspector General of Police (Operations) S. K. Bharadwaj said. The State Government had proposed inclusion of four more Districts - Lakhisarai, Munger, Buxar and Sheikhpura - in the SRE scheme. The Centre has, however, decided to cover Munger only, Bharadwaj added. "We have submitted a fresh proposal to this effect," official sources said, adding that Saharsa also ought to also be included in the list of Districts covered under the SRE. Under the SRE scheme, the expenditure incurred on security is reimbursed by the Centre. The CPI-Maoist has reportedly made their presence felt in 31 Districts of Bihar.

Bharadwaj, who also in-charge of anti-Naxal cell in the Bihar Police headquarters, said that two of the three proposed India Reserve (IR) battalions have been made operational and the process of land acquisition for the third IR battalion at Valmikinagar in the West Champaran District (close to the India-Nepal border) was underway. Official sources said the recruitment of Police personnel for the two IR battalions - one at the Bihar Military Police-4 (Dumraon) and another at the BMP-12 (Saharsa) - was almost complete and the constables are undergoing training.

The officer also said the Centre might provide four CoBRA at Kaimur-Rohtas, Jamui-Nawada and Gaya-Aurangabad. Bihar is also planning to set up four counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism schools at BMP-2 (Dehri-on-Sone), BMP-3 (Bodh Gaya), BMP-4 (Dumraon) and BMP-15 (Valmikinagar). The Centre has released INR 1.6 crore for the purpose and tenders for construction of buildings for the proposed training centres are likely to be advertised in September 2009, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), Neelmani, said.

Four Police personnel, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, were killed while two others sustained injuries when Maoists attacked them at a place under Sono Police Station in Jamui District. The Additional Director-General of Police Neelmani said an Assistant Sub-Inspector and three Special Auxiliary Police personnel were killed while two other Police personnel sustained injuries when around 40 armed CPI-Maoist cadres ambushed a Police patrol team.

With another Policeman succumbing to injuries, the number of Police personnel killed in the CPI-Maoist attack on a Police patrol in Jamui on August 22 increased to five. "One more Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) jawan succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Jamui," Addition Director General of Police Neelmani told PTI in capital Patna. "Body of a Naxalite who might have been killed during the encounter was also recovered today from an isolated place, about three km from the spot," he said, adding that there was a possibility of several other Maoists being killed in the encounter whose bodies may have been taken away by the insurgents.

The 48-hour Bandh (shutdown) called by the CPI-Maoist evoked a partial response in Bihar. The Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Neelmani, said there was no untoward incident reported from any part of the State. "Strict vigil is being maintained on railway platforms, bus stands and other public places as a precautionary measure. Trains are being escorted by the Police," he added. "Besides, personnel of the Special Task Force and the Central Reserve Police have been engaged in carrying out intensive raids on different hideouts of the Maoists," Neelamni said. The CPI-Maoist had called for a two-day shutdown in five States, including Bihar, to protest the arrest of Anil Kumar, a CPI-Maoist politburo member, and Kartik, a central committee member from Patna. The Bandh began on August 24.

Bihar Police data is reported to have stated that 14 mobile towers of BSNL, Airtel and Reliance telecommunications were blown up by the insurgents in the Aurangabad, Gaya, Arwal and Rohtas Districts in 2008. Till July 2009, five such incidents have been reported.

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

A CPI-Maoist cadre was killed and five others were arrested in an encounter at Sakir Bigha in Gaya District. "Acting on a tip-off, Police raided the area where the Maoists had assembled. The encounter took place when they, on being sighted by the Police, fired at them," Superintendent of Police (SP) Sushil Khopade said. A Maoist sustained injuries in the encounter and died on way to the hospital, the SP added. One carbine, two country-made rifles and rounds of ammunition were recovered from the five arrested insurgents, he said.

Maoists blew up two mobile towers in the Gaya District and set ablaze four vehicles at Tilhautu in the Rohtas District 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.

The Maoists attacked the Ismailpur railway Station under Gaya-Mughalsarai rail section and abducted Station manager and other railway staff.

More than 50 CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze two mobile phone towers at Mathurapur village under Guraru Police Station area and Gurua. 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.

Police arrested two CPI-Maoist cadres from the Mandebigaha village of Jehanabad District, around 45 kilometres from the State capital Patna. Identified as Rajballabh Bind alias Balgovind Bind and Akhilesh Bind, the Maoists were arrested in a raid, Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said. Rajballabh was accused of killing two persons in an attack on Darogachak village in 1999, whereas Akhilesh was accused of killing three persons in the Masaurhi area of Patna.

A Maoist was arrested by Police from Champapur village in the East Champaran District. Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided the village and arrested the Maoist who supplied mobile phones to the outfit, Superintendent of Police Umesh Kumar said, adding, he was being interrogated.

A CPI-Maoist leader was arrested in connection with the attack on a Police party which killed five Policemen in the Jamui District on August 22, Police said on August 30. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a place at Sono Bazaar in Jamui in the evening of August 29 and arrested CPI-Maoist leader Mustkeen Ansari, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said. Ansari has revealed vital information about the attack, he claimed. As reported earlier, four Special Auxiliary Police personnel and an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police were killed by the insurgents at Sono Bazaar on August 22. They had also looted six weapons and ammunition from the Policemen.

A CPI-Maoist cadre was arrested from Ajimgang village in the Munger District. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a house and arrested Bhim Koda, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said. The village sarpanch (village council chief) was also arrested along with the insurgent, he said. Some Maoist literature and INR 13,580 in cash were seized from them, the Police official added.

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, 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.

Bihar is likely to become the fourth State to have its own ATS, the blueprint for which has already been prepared. "The Bihar ATS will be armed with modern and latest weapon system after the home department approves it," said an unnamed senior official. The Bihar ATS - to be headed by an officer of inspector-general rank - will have two deputy inspectors-general and four superintendents of Police, says the blueprint. The ATS will have more than two dozen "operational units" within itself to deal with emergency situations. The squad will be raised from the existing personnel of Bihar Military Police and be specially trained to deal with sudden strikes. Currently, Bihar has a Special Task Force which deals with cases of organised crime and Maoist insurgency. Only Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have an ATS.

A farmer abducted by the CPI-Maoist was killed at Gulambigha under Madanpur Police Station of Aurangabad District. Armed Maoists had abducted two farmers, Yadunanandan Mehta and Balwant Mehta, from village Pagre under Madanpur Police Station on September 1. Yadunandan's body was recovered from a field from adjoining Gulambigha in the afternoon of September 3, sources said.

Armed Maoists exploded a landmine during an encounter with Police when the latter was trying to rescue the six abducted security guards of a private company in the Jamui District. As the Special Task Force and District Armed Police continued search operations in the morning of September 3, the extremists hiding in dense forests fired on them and exploded a landmine at a place under Chakai Police Station in the District, the Additional Director General of Police Neelmani said. A Police vehicle was partially damaged in the blast, he said, adding that three Maoists were arrested during the operation.

An 'area commander' of the breakaway faction of the erstwhile PWG, Binod Marandi, was arrested from a place under Sherghati Police Station in the Gaya District.

The North Bihar regional western zonal committee of the CPI-Maoist called for a North Bihar shutdown on September 12 through hand-written posters pasted at more than a dozen places of Muzaffarpur District to protest against the arrest of one of their leaders, Shankarji, at Motihari on August 26. The first Maoist poster was found at Paroo Chowk on September 9. Since then, identical posters, requesting the public to observe a total shutdown in North Bihar were found at Minapur Chowk, Turki Bazaar under Minapur Police Station area, at Panapur flyover, Simri and Narma villages under Hathauri Police Station, Banghara Chowk under Sivaipatti Police Station, Bishanpur Saraiya under Deoria Police Station and Deoria Chowk.

The Naxalites released six security guards of a private construction firm after holding them captive for more than 15 days in the Jamui District, Police said on September 19. The extremists freed the employees of Subhash Project Marketing Limited (SPML) from different places in Patna, Jamui and Bhagalpur, on September 18, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Munger Range) Amit Kumar said. According to sources, the abducted employees were released after the Kolkata-based firm SPML met the extortion demand of the Naxalites. Kumar, however, denied such reports.

A person, identified as Ragunath Sao, was arrested on the charge of supplying firearms to the CPI-Maoist from the Rohtas District. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a house in the Nauhatta area and arrested Ragunath Sao, the District Superintendent of Police Vikas Baibhav said.

The Gaya Police seized a huge cache of explosives, including 1,200 detonators, five gelatine sticks and 200 metres of wire, from a room at Balthar village under the CPI-Maoist-dominated Barachatti Police Station of Gaya District. The Superintendent of Police Sushil Khopde said a suspected Maoist has been arrested in this connection. Identified as Surindra Manjhi, he is said to be the caretaker of the room where the detonators were found under a heap of animal fodder.

A top CPI-Maoist cadre was arrested from the Deo Police Station area of Aurangabad District. The Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), Neelmani, said the Maoist has been identified as Sushil Bhuian, who was wanted in half a dozen cases, including the blasting of a community building.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested from the Gangta forest area of Jamui District late the night of September 28, Police said on September 29. Jamui Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Singh said that on a tip off, a Police team raided Gangta forest area and arrested two Maoists - a man and a woman. The Police also seized some papers which confirmed their involvement with the extremist group.

16 civilians, including five children, were shot dead by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres at Amosi Bharen Diara village in the Khagaria District late in the night of October 1, a top Police official said on October 2. "Around 100 people, suspected to be Maoists, armed with automatic weapons attacked the village Amosi Bharen Diara and fired indiscriminately late last night, killing 11 men and 5 children on the spot," Inspector General (Operations) S. K. Bharadwaj said. According to Police, the cultivation on the disputed 40 bighas of land is said to be reason behind the attack on the victims belonging to backward caste. The Additional Deputy General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said that the attack was carried out on the villagers by the suspected Maoists with the intention of grabbing the land. The victims, belonged to Amdaicharua village and had been living in the makeshift camps on the land for cultivation, he added. "Speaking to The Hindu, Neelmani, said, "Ten people have been arrested so far, including O.P. Mahto, whom we believe is the prime suspect."

The CPI-Maoist has threatened to kill Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if two of their top leaders were not released from jail. 'Dabloo', a Maoist leader, in a SMS from the mobile phone number -- 09308670993 -- to a reporter of a private TV channel, claimed that there was a plan to kill the Chief Minister, State Home Department Principal Secretary Amir Subhani said. The message demanded the release of Maoist leaders 'Raviji' and Diren Singh.

Seven persons were arrested by the Police for the attack on villagers by the CPI-Maoist cadres at Amosi Bharen Diara village in Khagaria District on October 1. The suspected mastermind behind the attack, O.P. Shah, was among those arrested, the Police said.

A cache of explosives, including 300 detonators and 400 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, kept for delivery to the CPI-Maoist cadres were recovered from a house in the Rohtas District. Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided the house at Dhaudad village under Mufassil Police Station and recovered the explosives, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), Neelmani, told PTI. Besides 150 metres of wire used for detonators was also seized from the house, he said, adding, three persons, including two women, were also arrested in this connection. Police suspect the explosives were to be used for exploding the Sasaram jail, where a large number of Maoists are lodged, adds Hindustan Times. The Superintendent of Police (SP), Vikas Vaibhav, said the explosives were recovered from an area adjacent to the District Prison. "We have arrested two women activists of the CPI (Maoist) with the cache of ammunitions. The recovery of such a huge quantity of explosives indicates towards a big plan of the Maoists. The raids are still continuing", he added.

Eight Maoists, including an 'area commander', were arrested from the East Champaran District. Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided places under Patahi, Sarpa, Chiraiya, Kesaria and Ghorasahan Police Stations and arrested Lal Babu Yadav alias Shastri alias Doctorji, an 'area commander' of the CPI-Maoist, the SP Umesh Kumar said. Among others arrested were top Maoists Mukesh Ram alias Praveen, Naresh Ram, Chandrakishore Rai, Jagannath Sah, Sahai Sah, Mohammed Ishrail and Musafir Ram, the SP said. A locally-made pistol, two cartridges, INR 40,000 in cash, a cell phone and a diary were seized from them, he said. They were wanted in connection with several cases, including one related to an explosion at Madhuban five years ago, he added.

The CPI-Maoist called for a two-day shutdown in Bihar and Jharkhand from October 12 in protest against what it alleged was the Centre's effort to put down its campaign using paramilitary forces. The announcement was made through a press release by the spokesman of the Bihar-Jharkhand-Orissa-Chhattisgarh Special Committee, Gopal. The outfit has also been observing a protest-week from October 7 to 13, the release said.

The CPI-Maoist blew up three culverts in the Aurangabad District, Police said. Around 50 Maoists planted dynamites in the culverts at Kachanpur, Bhedhna and Berhani villages and blasted them, Police added. Police also said that the Maoists blew up the culverts over alleged non-payment of the extortion amount by the contractors constructing them in the District.

An 'area commander' of the CPI-Maoist was arrested from near NTPC at Gamaharia in the Aurangabad District. Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided a place near NTPC and arrested Rajendra Singh, the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), Neelmani, said. One pistol, four live cartridges and a jeep were also seized, he added. The arrestee was allegedly involved in many cases relating to attack on Policemen and kidnapping for ransom and killings.

The Maoists exploded the telecom tower at Salaiya village in Aurangabad District. The Maoists also dug up a 15-metre stretch of a road at Chanda village, disrupting traffic between Deo and Dhibra. They left behind pamphlets, claiming responsibility for the incidents, official sources said.

The Maoists set ablaze a rail office at Banshipur Station of Lakhisarai District. 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.

Patna Police arrested two arms smugglers and recovered 2,340 live cartridges of different calibres. The SSP Vinit Vinayak said that the State Police had received information about some arms suppliers passing through Patna to make a delivery to the Maoists in Nawada and other Maoist -infested areas to coincide with Diwali festival. During a vehicle check the Police, intercepted a vehicle with two men on Bhattacharya Road. Upon inspection, the Police recovered 2,340 cartridges of .315, .32, and 9 mm calibre carefully hidden in a secret chamber behind the car doors. The two men, who were identified as Mantu Sharma and Dhananjay Kumar, were taken into custody. According to the Police report, the two men had come to Patna from New Delhi with intent to sell the ammunition to Maoist extremists in Nawada, Munger, Gaya, Jehanabad and Aurangabad Districts.

The Maoists bombed a tower of a private telecom firm and set ablaze a truck at Brindabazar in the Sheohar District 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.

Over 100 CPI-Maoist cadres assembled at a block office building at Sangrampur in the Munger District 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.

The Maoists raided a newly-built block office at Bandhu Bagicha under Chanan Police Station in the same District and set ablaze important files and documents.

In Aurangabad District, the Maoists partially destroyed the tower of a private telecom company at Padaiya village. The extremists exploded bombs in which a portion of the tower collapsed, officials said. They also dug up roads near Amba in the same District to disrupt movement of traffic.

The Maoists raided Bankepur Bazaar area Gaya District and exploded mobile tower of private company. Though nobody was injured in the incident, the extremists left pamphlets owning responsibility for the violence, officials said.

The Maoists have been observing a 48-hour shutdown beginning October 12 to protest the Union Government's alleged efforts to put down their campaign by force.

CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze three cellular phone towers in the Banke Bazaar Police Station area of Gaya District. 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.

A Politburo member of the CPI-Maoist, Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji, alleged that the Bihar Police had arrested a Maoist ideologue and an agriculture scientist, Ravi Sharma, along with his wife on October 10. Sharma's wife Anuradha was working with the State Bank of India in Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh, till recently, Kishanji added. An unnamed senior Police officer confirmed that Ravi Sharma was arrested from a forest close to the Hazaribag National Park under Ichak Police Station on October 10, adds Times of India. Anuradha, chief of the Maoist women's wing Nari Mukti Sangh and Ravi Sharma' wife, was also arrested.

Reacting to the Centre's move to initiate stern action to tackle the rising Maoist insurgency, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "Naxalism was not only the problem of a particular State, but also of society as a whole." Police action "formed only a limited part" of society's response to the spectre of Red menace, he added, saying, "Naxalism is a problem that has to be dealt with jointly by the community, the State and Central Governments acting in harmonious coordination… We will saturate the Naxal-prone areas with development."

The Bihar Government is revising its existing surrender and rehabilitation policy for the Maoists to make it more attractive to lure more insurgents from the CPI-Maoist to lay down arms and join the mainstream, Police officials said. Officials said the Government felt the growing need to revise its surrender policy following an alarming rise in incidents of Maoist violence in the recent months. "The new surrender policy will incorporate some facilities to those who shun violence and join the social mainstream", the DGP, Anand Shankar, said. "It (the policy) will be better attuned to needs and open to new idea", the DGP added. The existing surrender policy provides for a financial support of INR 200000 and additional payment of INR 100000 if surrendered along with arms. It also provides for a monthly stipend of INR 3000 and free education to children but this has failed to attract the Maoists so far. In the last four years since this policy came into being, less than 200 Maoists have surrendered in Bihar.

The Bihar Inspector General of Police (Operations) K. S. Dwivedi told Indian Express that operations against the Maoists will intensify while tougher laws would be applied against those in custody. "We have enforced Unlawful Prevention Activities Prevention Act against ultras, ensuring five years' jail for them. We will soon enforce Section 121 (waging war against the state) of the Indian Penal Code against them. They may well face sedition charges," Dwivedi said. He added that Police treated Maoists as hardcore criminals and had been pressing for speedy trials against them. Of 274 Maoists facing trials since 2007, 10 have been awarded death sentence and 22 life sentence in the State, he stated. He also sought at least 20 extra battalions of the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) for anti-Maoist operations. At present, a 400-member Special Task Force, 23 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 16 Bihar Military Police battalions and 7,000 Special Auxiliary Police personnel, besides the usual Police forces, are tackling Maoists in the State.

The CPI-Maoist blew up a state-run primary school at Gerua village Banka District. Over 100 extremists surrounded the building at around 2.30am and used dynamites to trigger the explosion, Police said. The roofs of the three-room school caved in due to the explosion. The school was adjacent to the Sangrampur block (administrative division) office which was blown up by the Maoists last week. The District administration had earlier planned to set up a Police post at the school, the report added.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist and the SFs exchanged fire in Barsudhi forest under the Barachatti Police Station area near Bihar-Jharkhand border, some 50 kilometres from Gaya. The encounter lasted for 90 minutes and the two sides reportedly fired several hundred rounds, with more than a hundred rounds being fired by the Policemen alone. The CRPF later arrested three CPI-Maoist cadres after a gun battle in the Gaya District. Acting on a tip off, the CRPF troops began combing a forest under Barachatti Police Station and an encounter followed soon after. "Three activists surrendered, who were hiding in the fields when we launched a search operation. On interrogation they confessed they had relations with Maoists and were helping them with arms and ammunition," said the CRPF Commandant Vijay Kumar. "We recovered huge quantity of items like wireless sets, explosives which had timer devices, ammunition and uniform," he added.

According to the Gaya Superintendent of Police Sushil Khopde, the Police received a tip-off about extremists organising a training camp in the forests. The Security Forces were rushed to the forested area and a gun battle ensued. Khopde said though no actual count of ammunition was made, SFs are believed to have fired more than hundred rounds forcing the extremists to retreat. No casualty was reported on either side, he added.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was arrested during a Police raid at Akbatrpur market in the Rohtas District, the Superintendent of Police, Vikas Vaibhav, said on October 25. Acting on a tip off, Police raided a house in the night of October 24 and arrested the extremist, he said. The arrestee later confessed to being involved in an encounter with the Police in the District in June 2009, Vaibhav added.

The SFs neutralised a training camp of the CPI-Maoist and destroyed their explosives in the Pesraha forest area of Munger District. Acting on a tip-off, the SFs raided the forest and neutralised the training camp, the Additional Director General of Police (ADG, Headquarters), Neelmani, said. A truck-load of explosives, including detonators, gelatine fuse wires, besides uniform and generators kept in adjoining bunkers were also destroyed, he added. The ADG said that the SFs were engaged in an encounter with the Maoists for about half-an-hour, but the insurgents managed to escape into the forests.

The Union Government sanctioned four schools to teach jungle warfare technique to Bihar Police personnel. "Select Bihar Police and Bihar Military Police (BMP) jawans [personnel] will be given three months' training by retired Army officials at these schools," ADG Neelmani told Times of India on October 26, adding that the Union Government has allotted INR 1.5 crore each for the schools which will come up at BMP-2 HQ at Dehri, BMP-3 HQ at Gaya, BMP-4 HQ at Dumraon and BMP-15 HQ at Valmikinagar. These schools are likely to become functional by December 2009. Neelmani said the Police personnel trained at these schools will be part of the State's Special Task Force and used exclusively to combat the Maoists.

The Union Government has also launched a programme in collaboration with the Bihar Government for creating special infrastructure, including strengthening of Police installations and construction of roads and helipads, in the insurgency-affected Districts. The programme would be launched in the Gaya and Aurangabad Districts, to begin with. The programme will be launched in Arwal, Jehanabad, Jamui, Rohtas, Bhojpur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Kaimur, Nalanda, Nawada, Patna and Sitamarhi Districts - in the next phase.

The Bihar Government plans to modify its existing surrender policy for the CPI-Maoist cadres and make it more attractive by incorporating a rehabilitation policy for those willing to surrender. The Director General of Police, Anand Shankar, recently said that the surrender policy would be made more attractive. "The policy is being drafted for the state government's approval with suitable changes incorporating a rehabilitation package for the naxalites volunteering to surrender with arms", Shankar added. The rehabilitation package in the new policy, he said, would be made more attractive.

The existing policy, official sources said, was a failure in attracting the Maoists in their strongholds of the Jehanabad, Gaya, Aurangabad and Jamui Districts. Statistics revealed that while 74 Maoists surrendered in 2005, the figure came down to 21 in 2006. The years 2007 and 2008 registered surrender of 21 and 29 insurgents respectively and till March 2009 only two Maoists had surrendered, official sources added.

15 CPI-Maoist cadres, involved in the killing of a Police officer and looting of firearms from Police Stations, surrendered in Rohtas District. The Maoists, who surrendered before the Police at Vikramganj, were later sent to prison, Superintendent of Police Vikas Baibhav said. The arrestees confessed to their involvement in the killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Prasad Singh in 2008 and cases related to loot of rifles from two Police Stations in the District recently, the SP added.

The CPI-Maoist cadres fired at a private vehicle in the Aurangabad District injuring one person, said the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani. The Maoists first blew up a culvert using improvised explosive device and then fired at the vehicle at Rajbigha village injuring one person, Neelmani added. They were planning to attack a Police patrol vehicle but missed the target as the vehicle carrying the Policemen had passed through the area just minutes before.

Three CPI-Maoist cadres and their eight suspected accomplices were arrested from Rukunpura village in the Gaya District, Police said. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Special Task Force of the Bihar Police raided the village where the extremists were hiding, and arrested them, the Superintendent of Police S. Khopde said. Two locally-made pistols and 10 live cartridges were recovered from their possession, he added. Out of the 11 arrested, three were Maoists according to the records and were involved in several offences. The criminal records of eight others are being examined, he added.

Three CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested and a huge cache of arms and explosives were seized from them in the Munger District. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a place at village Patan and arrested the Maoists who are wanted in connection with several cases related to murder, loot of Police rifles and kidnapping, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Sridhar Mandal, said. Two pistols, 70 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, four bundles of detonators and 125 meters fuse wire were seized from them.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a road bridge at Rohe village in the Gaya District, Police said on November 5. Around 50 Maoists assembled in the village in the night of November 4 and detonated dynamites to blow up the bridge. The road link to Imamganj bazar was severed as a result.

Two top Maoists were arrested from Aurangabad District, Police sources said, The Hindu reports. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided Khaira village under Deora Police Station and arrested Dharmender alias Mintu and Kamlesh Kahar, sources added. The arrestees were wanted in connection with the recent blasting of road bridges during the recent shutdown by the Maoists in Bihar.

Police recovered 300 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, copper sulphate, potassium nitrate and several bottles of acids from Patna's Bhootnath road on a tip off from the Intelligence Bureau. It is believed that these explosives were to be supplied to the Naxalites (left wing extremists) in the neighbouring State of Jharkhand.

A top Maoist was arrested by the Special Task Force personnel of Bihar Police from Mayapur area under Goh Police Station in the Aurangabad District, Police said, Outlook reported. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a place under Mayapur area and captured the Maoist, identified as Sunil Kumar alias Chintu, they said. Sunil was wanted in connection with several cases related to explosion, kidnapping for ransom and killing, sources added.

A CPI-Maoist cadre was shot dead by his companion following a dispute over distribution of extortion money in the forests of Dudhapaniya in Munger District, Police said. The Deputy Superintendent of Police A. Chandra said the Maoist, who was shot dead by his own group member, has been identified as Rasik Yadav, a resident of Tilwariya village of the District. The Police official also said that Yadav was killed for defalcating the money collected from private companies engaged in road construction works and the farmers for allowing them to till their lands falling in the Maoist areas.

Police recovered 600 kilograms of explosives, 10 carbines and 10,000 cartridges from a housing colony in Patna. Gelatine, detonators and other kinds of explosives were also recovered. Police detained two people.

Police detained four people for questioning after the seizure of a huge consignment of explosives and chemicals, suspected to be meant for the Maoists, a Police official said. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (central range), Jitendra Kumar, said that four people have been detained and Police are trying to trace the route of the consignment, seized on October 7 and 8 in Patna. As reported earlier Police seized 900 kilograms of explosives - 600 kilograms on November 8 and 300 kilograms on November 7 - as well as 18 bags of explosives powder on November 8 from a house in a residential locality in Bhootnath Road. Besides, 300 bottles of chemicals for preparing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 7,221 live cartridges, 50 detonators, parts for making 14 carbines and Maoist literature were also seized. Police suspect that the consignment was for supply to Maoists in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Nearly a dozen heavily armed cadres of the Revolutionary Communist Centre (RCC) late in the night of November 10 raided village Pipra under Dumaria Police Station of Gaya District and set ablaze a road construction machine being used in the ongoing construction of a road linking Dumaria with the divisional headquarters. The RCC is a splinter group of the former Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Construction activity consequently remained suspended on November 11 in view of the attack. Confirming the incident, the Sherghati Sub Divisional Police Officer Ranjan Kumar said that only partial damage has been caused to the road construction machine.

Fearing that the CPI-Maoist would infiltrate the Districts bordering the State of Jharkhand during the Legislative Assembly Election in the state (Jharkhand), the Bihar Police are making all possible arrangements. "This threat is not ruled out and we have asked the Superintendents of Police of all Districts bordering Jharkhand to tighten vigil," said U. S. Dutt, Additional Director-General of Police (headquarters) on November 10. The State will become more vulnerable in the coming weeks as Bihar is sending five companies of paramilitary forces to the poll-bound State, he added. A similar threat is suspected by the Jharkhand Police, too, which feels that Maoists from Bihar may enter their territory.

The Patna Police shifted the Gaurichak Police Station, which was located in a remote area, to a community hall adjacent to the National Highway for security reasons. According to official sources in the Police headquarters in Patna, the Police Station was shifted following intelligence reports warning that Police Stations situated in deserted places could be attacked by the Maoists.

About 45 quintals of explosives were seized by the Special Task Force (STF) from two places in Gaya District. Acting on a tip off, Police raided a shop at Kaulakhshni area and seized 29 gunny bags containing explosives, Superintendent of Police (SP) S. M. Khopade said. The STF also raided a house under Delha Police Station in the District and recovered 70 sacks of explosive materials, Khopde added. Each of the sacks contained 40 to 45 kilograms of explosives. The explosives were highly inflammable and forensic experts have been called in from Patna for test, the SP added.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres attacked a cloth shop at Saraiya Bazaar Chowk under Belsand sub-division in the Sitamarhi District. They also threatened the shopkeeper and set ablaze his motorcycle in an apparent bid to collect levy.

Patna Police arrested Subodh Singh, who is wanted in connection with the recovery of a haul of explosives besides rifles and cartridges from Patna and Gaya in Bihar and Ranchi, Hazaribgah and Bokaro in Jharkhand during successive raids earlier this month. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Vineet Vinayak said on November 14 that Subodh, son of Rabindra Singh, and his wife were arrested from a house at Ramnagari under Rajeev Nagar Police Station in the night of November 13. A pistol, 650 rounds of cartridges, SIM cards, fake driving licences, PAN and identity cards and Naxalite literature were seized from the place. Subodh later led the Police to a house in F sector under Kankerbagh Police Station from where three automatic rifles, 720 live cartridges, CDs and Maoist literature were seized. The rifles were kept in the cabinet of a book shelf, Vinayak said. Quoting neighbours, the SSP said the house had been taken on rent by one Prince alias Rakesh Ranjan for the last four years. Subodh, in collusion with Prince, used to stock the explosives, arms and ammunition there and transport the stuff as and when demanded by the Naxalites, he said.

On the basis of confessions made by Subodh, Police also seized six vehicles of a travel agency owned by Prabhat Singh, a resident of road number 11 of Ashok Nagar. From Prabhat's house, Police seized another Ambassador car, which had in its boot a special cavity. 275 cartridges of different makes were recovered from that cavity, Vinayak said. Police have also seized five VIP beacon lights, nameplates of some senior officials of the income-tax department, CDs and Maoist literature from Prabhat's house. Prabhat, who used to supply vehicles to ferry Maoists and explosives to various places, the SSP said, adding that Police were on the lookout for Prince and Prabhat. Police also arrested three associates of Subodh for allegedly supplying arms to Maoists. Over 250 cartridges made in China and Pakistan was found concealed under the seat of an Ambassador car seized from Subodh's transport agency. Some of the seizures in Patna, Gaya and Bokaro in the past week have thrown up Chinese hand-grenades that look like "peeled coconuts". The Police said these are a "hot favourite" with the Maoists. The Maoists were also said to be "in possession" of hundreds of pistols made in China and even Pakistan, the Police added. Pistols of Pakistani make and magazines were recovered from two suspected Maoists picked up recently from Khagaria District in Bihar. Guns made in Bihar's Munger, a centre of illegal arms factories for three decades, are also suspected to have reached Maoists.

The Additional Director General (headquarters) U.S. Dutt on November 14 said the Police were probing the recovery of the explosives and arms, Hindustan Times reports. "Police are trying to find out the real story behind the recovery of the huge consignment of explosives and arms, brought for use of the Maoists," Dutt added.

Four suspected Maoists were arrested and a large quantity of chemicals and explosive materials meant for making bombs were seized in Munger District. "Three packets, weighing one kg each containing gelatine sticks, one kg potassium chlorate, 145 detonators and a hand grenade were seized from the houses of two hardcore Maoists last night in Banvarsha village," the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Ashok Kumar said. He also said a hundred detonators bore the mark of Gulf Oil Corporation Ltd, Hyderabad and the rest were having the mark of Rajasthan Explosives and Chemicals Ltd, Dholpur. Four Maoists - Ashok Paswan, Manoj Paswan, Tuntun Kumar and Ishwar Sah - were arrested and three others managed to escape, Kumar added. The owner of the car, from which huge quantity of explosives was seized in Patna recently, was arrested on November 15 from a village under the Haveli Kharagpur Police Station in Munger District. Haveli Kharagpur SDPO K. Chandra said acting on a tip-off, Police raided the house of Ashok Paswan and arrested him. Ashok's brother Manoj Paswan and car driver Tuntun Shah, both residents of village Gowadda under the Haveli Kharagpur Police Station, were also arrested. Chandra said the three arrested persons are top cadres of the Maoists. The car was used by Ashok to carry firearms and explosives. The explosives were stored at the house of one Ishwar Shah, resident of village Vanvarsha under the Nayaramnagar Police Station in Munger. Police also arrested Ishwar and his two associates, who are also top cadres of the Maoists. The SDPO said the arrested persons have admitted that they were involved in the murder of a contractor of Haveli Kharagpur and two other influential persons of the sub-division in 2008-09. The consignment of explosive material, which was seized from Kankerbagh Police Station area of the state Capital Patna on November 7, was to be delivered to the Naxals operating in Munger.

A senior STF officer said that Chinese hand-grenades covered in polythene bags were also made available to the insurgents in huge quantity. Besides, the Maoists were in possession of hundreds of pistols made in China and even in Pakistan.

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

Following seizures of huge cache of arms and explosives in Patna, Gaya, Munger and Bokaro (Jharkhand) by the Bihar Police in recent weeks, the CPI-Maoist has threatened to carry out bloody reprisals against the kin of officers, ministers and politicians. A two-page statement issued on November 18 in the name of Gopal, spokesperson of the Bihar-Jharkhand-Orissa and Chhattisgarh Special Area Committee of the CPI-Maoist, said the arms and explosives seized by the Police were all basically meant to protect the defenceless people against the fresh wave of State repression. "Putting national sovereignty to ransom, the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] Government at the Centre was playing second fiddle to imperialist masters led by the USA and the Indian masses are groaning under the yoke of a thoroughly degenerated politician-Police-bureaucrat nexus", it said.

Charging the Bihar Police with letting loose a reign of repression against the kin of a top Maoist leader Arvind Kumar and his aide Subodh Kumar at Shukulchak village in Jehanabad, it said if the repressive action against them is not stopped forthwith, its People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) are ready to give a befitting reply. Regarding the recovery from the houses of Prabhat and Prince located in Patna, it stated it is a "white lie" as both of them are earning their livelihood on their own and have absolutely nothing to do with the CPI-Maoist. The CPI-Maoist warned "if Police feel elated at the recent seizures, they should also prepare themselves mentally to shed tears sooner than expected".

A Policeman was killed and five others critically injured in a landmine blast by CPI-Maoist cadres near Maker Police Station in Saran District. Saran Superintendent of Police Mithilesh Kumar said the blast occurred in the afternoon when the head of Maker block Guddu Sharma was on way to his office, 75 kilometres from capital Patna. Due to the blast, his vehicle was blown to pieces and Sharma's bodyguard was killed on the spot, he said. The five injured, including Sharma and his driver, were rushed to Hospital, Kumar added.

Two Maoists were arrested in the night of November 20 in connection with November 19 landmine explosion near Maker block in Saran District in which two persons were killed and four others, including Maker Block (administrative division) Head Mukesh Sharma, who was the main target of the Maoists, sustained injuries. Siwan SP Amit Kumar Jain, also in charge of Saran District at present, on November 21 said the arrested cadres were identified as Arun Kumar Rai alias Arun Ji alias Rakesh, an active member of the North Bihar West Zonal Committee of the CPI-Maoist and Amarendra Kumar Bhagat alias Amar Ji. While Rai was arrested from Karnpura village under Dighwara Police Station of Saran, Bhagat was arrested from Jagdishpur Dhano village under Paru Police Station in the Muzaffarpur District. Bhagat said he was in charge of collecting INR 1 lakh per month as levy from road construction contractor Chadda and Chadda. The Maoists have admitted to their involvement in the explosion, said Jain, adding that the plan to kill Sharma was chalked out at a meeting in Lakhna village of Saran District on November 13. It was presided over by 'area commander' Ram Pukar Mahto alias Rajan Ji alias Pandey of Karia Madhuban village in the East Champaran District.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested from Aurangabad District, Police said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Nishant Tiwari said that the two Maoists, identified as Surendra Yadav and Ramesh Pal, were wanted by the District Police for exploding over half a dozen culverts and small bridges in the District during the past one month by triggering landmine blasts. Tiwari also said the two were being interrogated and hoped that they would provide vital clues to the Police about Maoist activities in the District.

Police seized about 250 quintals of ammonium nitrate used in making explosives from Basa village in the Rohtas District and arrested three people. A Police officer said detonators have also been recovered. Rohtas Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav said that the Police team on getting the information that some suppliers were carrying explosives in a Bolero jeep to Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh intercepted them near Fazalganj on the Grand Trunk Road, near the Bihar Uttar Pradesh border, adds Hindustan Times. "They seized 500 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate powder and arrested two person- Mahendra Singh Patel and Santosh Patel," he added. After interrogation, the arrested persons revealed that a huge stock of Ammonium Nitrate was kept in a godown in Basa village. The Police team immediately raided the godown, owned by one Mantosh Singh, and recovered 24,600 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate stored in 492 bags. The Police also arrested Mantosh in this connection.

The huge cache of explosives, seized by Bihar Police from different parts of the State and Jharkhand during the past few days, was mostly pushed into the State from Avadi in Pune and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. This was disclosed to interrogators by the four persons who were arrested in Rohtas following seizure of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate. Police said the arrested persons later confessed that the chemical was to be sent to Medinapore in West Bengal and Jharkhand where Maoists were to use it to enforce their poll boycott call. Assembly elections are being held in Jharkhand in five phases beginning November 25.

Over one lakh kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Patna, Gaya, Rohtas, and Bokaro (Jharkhand) following raids which started on November 7, 2009. "For the last three years, not even a gram of ammonium nitrate was supplied to Rohtas by the Government for use as fertiliser," a senior Police officer said and added that seizure of gelatine sticks gave further credence to their belief that it was to be used for nefarious purposes. Ammonium nitrate, if mixed with diesel and triggered with gelatine sticks, can cause huge explosion. "It is a good substance for making effective explosive devices," the Police officer said. Patna Senior SP Vineet Vinayak said the explosive materials were to be distributed in Maoists-hit Districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Police is still searching from where are the Maoists getting .315 bore and 12 bore cartridges, a large number of which too were seized in raids. "These are obsolete bores, neither being produced nor in use by Police or Army anywhere in the country," said Additional Director General of Police (HQ) U. S. Dutt. Police speculate these ammunitions might have been pilfered from army go downs, adding, "We are working on this theory."

Police seized about 250 quintals of ammonium nitrate used in making explosives from Basa village in the Rohtas District and arrested three people. A Police officer said detonators have also been recovered. Rohtas Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav said that the Police team on getting the information that some suppliers were carrying explosives in a Bolero jeep to Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh intercepted them near Fazalganj on the Grand Trunk Road, near the Bihar Uttar Pradesh border, adds Hindustan Times. "They seized 500 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate powder and arrested two person- Mahendra Singh Patel and Santosh Patel," he added. After interrogation, the arrested persons revealed that a huge stock of Ammonium Nitrate was kept in a godown in Basa village. The Police team immediately raided the godown, owned by one Mantosh Singh, and recovered 24,600 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate stored in 492 bags. The Police also arrested Mantosh in this connection.

The huge cache of explosives, seized by Bihar Police from different parts of the State and Jharkhand during the past few days, was mostly pushed into the State from Avadi in Pune and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. This was disclosed to interrogators by the four persons who were arrested in Rohtas following seizure of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate. Police said the arrested persons later confessed that the chemical was to be sent to Medinapore in West Bengal and Jharkhand where Maoists were to use it to enforce their poll boycott call. Assembly elections are being held in Jharkhand in five phases beginning November 25.

Over one lakh kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Patna, Gaya, Rohtas, and Bokaro (Jharkhand) following raids which started on November 7, 2009. "For the last three years, not even a gram of ammonium nitrate was supplied to Rohtas by the Government for use as fertiliser," a senior Police officer said and added that seizure of gelatine sticks gave further credence to their belief that it was to be used for nefarious purposes. Ammonium nitrate, if mixed with diesel and triggered with gelatine sticks, can cause huge explosion. "It is a good substance for making effective explosive devices," the Police officer said. Patna Senior SP Vineet Vinayak said the explosive materials were to be distributed in Maoists-hit Districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Police is still searching from where are the Maoists getting .315 bore and 12 bore cartridges, a large number of which too were seized in raids. "These are obsolete bores, neither being produced nor in use by Police or Army anywhere in the country," said Additional Director General of Police (HQ) U. S. Dutt. Police speculate these ammunitions might have been pilfered from army go downs, adding, "We are working on this theory."

The CPI-Maoist blew up a Government building near the Kharakpur sub-divisional office in Munger District in the night. Over 55 persons assembled at the building and exploded it with dynamites and escaped.

Two Maoists were arrested by the Special Task Force of State Police from Nimidih village in Aurangabad District, Police said. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided a house at the village and arrested Shankar Yadav and Suraj Singh, both wanted in connection with several operations carried out by the CPI-Maoist, Police sources said.

The Police recovered powerful can and cylinder bombs planted by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres under the road near Purushottampur in Gaya District. Acting on a tip-off, Police searched the road and recovered one 8-kilogrmas can bomb and a 12 kilograms cylinder bomb, besides several metres of wire. However, none was arrested, the Police said.

Five persons, suspected to be associated with Maoists, were arrested and sophisticated weapons seized from them in Patna District. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Special Task Force of Bihar Police raided a place in the Bakhtiarpur town, about 150 kilometres from Patna, and arrested the persons. An AK-47, two magazines, five hand grenades and several live cartridges were recovered from their possession, Police added. The arrested were suspected to be involved in supplying firearms to the Maoists, Police further said.

An Orissa Police team arrived to Patna to interrogate an alleged arms supplier of the Maoists. Subodh Singh alias Subhas Singh was arrested in Patna 10 days ago after Police seized huge consignments of explosive materials and firearms this month. Orissa Police suspect that Singh allegedly supplied explosives to the Maoists who attacked a Police Station in Orissa in April 2008 killing eight Policemen. "Orissa Police is likely to interrogate Singh here Thursday," a Police official said.

Armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two school buildings in the Gaya District. 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.

A top CPI-Maoist leader, accused in the killing of 11 Policemen was arrested in the Nawada District. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided Mahuliatand village and arrested Meero Ravidas, Superintendent of Police Anil Kishore Yadav said. Ravidas was the prime accused in the killing of 11 Policemen in the same village on February 9, he added.

Two other Maoists were arrested from Nautan Bazaar in the Rohtas District. The Security Forces carried out a raid and arrested the insurgents. Four 9-mm pistols and several rounds of ammunition were seized from the arrested insurgents, who were also identified.

Eight suspected CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested in the Aurangabad District. The arrests took place during a joint operation involving Police and the Special Task Force. "The Maoists were arrested while they were holding a jan adalat (people's court)," a Police official said.

Police seized about seven quintals of potassium nitrate used to make explosives from a village under Chakai block (administrative division) in the Jamui District and arrested five people.

An active cadre of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Jamuna Paswan wanted in connection with the killing of a Police Inspector was arrested from Telhatta Dhamani village under Kauakol Police Station limits of Nawada District late in the night.

Three persons were killed and many others wounded by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Sheohar District 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.

Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Rajkishore Ram and Babulal Ram, were arrested from Yadopur Chainpur village in the East Champaran District. The duo, both residents of Sishohan village in the District, was involved in a landmine blast and an encounter with Police at Betani village during the last Lok Sabha election.

Four mini gun factories were unearthed in Munger District and six persons involved in manufacturing illegal firearms and supplying them to Naxalite (left wing extremists) outfits in Jharkhand were arrested, Police said. SP M Sunil Naiak told reporters that the Police arrested two arms smugglers, Chetlal and Kundan, for supplying firearms to Naxalites in Jharkhand. The SP said Chetlal and Kundan were hardcore Naxalites and wanted by the Jharkhand Police in connection with several cases of Naxalite activities. Two 9 mm pistols and 30 rounds of live cartridges were recovered from their possession. During interrogation, they provided vital information about their modus-operandi and on the basis of information supplied by them, the Police raided Bardah village in Munger District and unearthed four mini gun factories and seized 17 country made pistols and equipment used for making firearms.

Those arrested by the Police have been identified as Md Saddam, Tanvir, Md. Shakeer, Md. Parvez and Md. Heera. Five of the arrested persons were minors, the SP said.

Police seized 10 quintals of ammonium nitrate, 60,000 detonators and 100 gelatine rods from a village in the Rohtas District. Rohtas Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav told that the explosives were seized from a house under the mofussil Police Station of the District. However, the Police refused to reveal any further details about it.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a Government school building in the Aurangabad District, Police said. Heavily-armed Maoists numbering around 25 surrounded the building at Poha village in the District and detonated dynamites to blow it up late in the night of December 16, the Superintendent of Police Nishant Tiwari said.

Inspector General of Police (Operations) K.S. Dwivedi said that at least 25 Policemen lost their lives while three Maoists were killed in gun battles with Police in Bihar this year. "Twenty-five Policemen were killed in 16 encounters (gun battles) with Maoists in Bihar so far this year. Only three Maoists were killed in these encounters,' Dwivedi said. The figures are till the first week of December. In the same period, 26 people were killed in 110 violent attacks by the Maoists in the State. According to Police records, 21 Policemen and 31 Maoists were killed in 26 gun battles with Maoists in 2008. In the same period, 43 people were killed in 76 violent incidents by Maoists in the state. Maoist guerrillas also looted 28 guns from Police during attacks on Police Stations and patrolling teams in 2009. Dwivedi said 384 Maoists were arrested during operations IN 2009 and 105 arms and huge quantities of ammunition were recovered from the Maoists.

Jamui Police recovered five can bombs from a village under the Laxmipur Police Station in the Jamui District. The Jamui Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Rathi said one of the recovered can bombs weighed 50 kilograms while the other four weighed 14 kilograms each. "The bombs were presumably meant to target a Police patrolling party," said Additional Director General of Police (ADG, Headquarters) U. S. Dutt. The Jamui SP, who led the raiding party on getting confidential information that extremists had collected some explosives, surrounded the hideouts of the suspected Maoists at village Thada Mor under the Laxmipur Police Station. The Maoists, however, managed to escape leaving behind the explosives and five detonators.

Munger Police on recovered one foreign made rifle and a pistol, INR 1 lakh in cash and two country made pistols from a place at village Ponkari under the Haveli Kharagpur Police Station in a raid. Haveli Kharagpur Sub Divisional Police Officer A. Chandra said Police recovered 200 kilograms raw materials meant for manufacturing bombs. Equipment for manufacturing firearms were also recovered during the raid. Police have taken two persons, Ajay Kumar and Pawan Kumar, under custody for interrogation. The village is a Maoist stronghold, Police said.

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 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.

A college employee was found dead in the Gaya District, two days after he was abducted by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres from a village, Police said. Kamlesh Kumar, a fourth grade employee of Upendra Nath Verma College, was abducted by suspected Maoists from Juri village in the Banke Bazar Police Station on December 18, they said.

Armed Maoists blew up a state-run school building at Karma village the Aurangabad District, 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.

Hundreds of poor school children in Aurangabad District appealed to the cadres of the CPI-Maoist not to damage or target their schools as it impacts their education badly. In an open letter to Maoists, the school children urged Maoists not to deprive them of education by damaging and blowing up the school buildings.

The huge cache of explosives, seized by Bihar Police from different parts of the State and Jharkhand during the past few days, was mostly pushed into the State from Avadi in Pune and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Times of India reported on December 21. This was disclosed to interrogators by the four persons who were arrested in Rohtas following seizure of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate. Though Bihar Police are yet to get to the bottom of the case, they are now convinced that the explosives were to be supplied to Maoists. Over one lakh kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Patna, Gaya, Rohtas, and Bokaro (Jharkhand) following raids which started on November 7, 2009. Those arrested initially tried to hoodwink the cops by maintaining that the chemical was meant for use as fertiliser. "For the last three years, not even a gram of ammonium nitrate was supplied to Rohtas by the government for use as fertiliser," a senior Police officer said and added that seizure of gelatine sticks gave further credence to their belief that it was to be used for nefarious purposes. Ammonium nitrate, if mixed with diesel and triggered with gelatine sticks, can cause huge explosion. "It is a good substance for making effective explosive devices," the Police officer said. Police said the arrested persons later confessed that the chemical was to be sent to Midnapore in West Bengal and Jharkhand where Maoists were to use it to enforce their poll boycott call. Assembly elections are being held in Jharkhand in five phases beginning November 25. "Thank God, the explosives were seized in time otherwise one can very well imagine the extent of damage the Maoists would have caused during elections in Jharkhand," the Police officer said. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Vineet Vinayak said the explosive materials were to be distributed in Maoists-hit Districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. Meanwhile, Police are still wondering from where are the Maoists getting .315 bore and 12 bore cartridges, a large number of which too were seized in raids. "These are obsolete bores, neither being produced nor in use by Police or Army anywhere in the country," said Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) U. S. Dutt. Police speculate these ammunitions might have been pilfered from army go downs. "We are working on this theory," said Dutt.

Shankar Sada, a self-styled 'area commander' of the CPI-Maoist and his two accomplices were arrested from a place under Bakhri Police Station in the Begusarai District Police sources said. Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided a house and arrested Shankar, 'commander' of the Kosi belt of the Maoist, and his two associates, the sources said. Shankar and the two others were wanted in connection with several criminal offences, including attack on a patrol and loot of Police rifles, they said.

The Maoists in Bihar have warned of action against dishonest officials if rampant corruption is not curbed in the implementation of Government sponsored welfare schemes, Police said. The Maoists in Arwal District asked the authorities to immediately curb rampant corruption in the implementation of the schemes. "We will be forced to take action against corrupt officials," Maoists said in their posters pasted in public places in the District. The Maoists pointed out that rampant corruption was depriving the poor of the benefits of the welfare schemes, a Police officer said. Local dailies reported that the Maoists were angered as there were major leakages in Government-run food schemes.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed two villagers and set ablaze machines of a road construction company in two separate incidents in the evening of December 22 in Bihar, Police said on December 23. In the first incident in Atari region of Gaya District, armed Maoists, looking for a deserter, fired indiscriminately at a house that they suspected to be his hideout. Two villagers were killed in the firing, but they had nothing to do with the Maoists. "As soon as we received the information, we reached the spot with the Police force. We searched for the rebels but they had fled," said Nand Kishore, Assistant Sub Inspector. Elsewhere in the District, the Maoists set ablaze machines of a construction company at Gurua, including two JCB machines, a tractor and a motorcycle, whose owner had reportedly refused ransom. A Maoist outfit named Shastra People's Morcha (SPM - Armed People's Front) claimed responsibility, said a Police official. "This is the first violent activity carried by SPM (Shastra People's Morcha) in Gurua. Outfits like MCC (Maoist Communist Centre) have carried out violent activities here earlier but it is for the first time that we have recorded a militant activity by SPM," said Rup Narayan Ram, Police Officer in-charge, Gurua.

Armed Maoists set ablaze seven vehicles of a private road construction firm at Badiha village in the Rohtas District. 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.

The Maoists blew up earthmoving machinery of a road construction project at Gurua near Sherghati in the Gaya District. According to the local Police, around 30 to 40 extremists belonging to the Revolutionary Communist Centre came late in the night of December 25 and blew up the JCB machinery in theSherghati area, where a road widening project is underway.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a State run school building at Birhni village in the Aurangabad District, 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.

A CPI-Maoist cadre was arrested and over 1,500 rounds of cartridges were recovered from him possession in Sasaram, the District headquarters of Rohtas District. On a tip off, Additional Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Mishra led a Police party at Kheelamganjlocality and arrested a Naxalite, identified as Surendra Kumar, with the cartridges and two wireless sets, Additional Director General of Police (headquarters) U. S. Duttsaid. Of the seized cartridge, 480 rounds were of 12 bore guns, 715 rounds were of .315 rifle and the rest of Insas and revolvers, Dutt added.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist detonated dynamites to blow up a school building at Jurati village in the Aurangabad District. 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.

A large quantity of explosives, including 11 can bombs kept in a dry water tank by the CPI-Maoist cadres, was unearthed in the Nawada District. "Acting on a tip-off that Maoists had held a meeting in the deep forests of Marai Kalunda area in the District late on Tuesday [December 29] night, Police launched a search operation and found the explosives hidden by them," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rajauli) Ajay Kumar said. 11 can bombs, two cylinder bombs weighing 10 and 20 kilograms, 35 detonators, 40 gelatin sticks, one country-made carbine and a pistol were kept in a dry plastic water tank buried in the jungle, he added.

Dozens of farmers are guarding their potato crop with guns as they fear Maoists may attack their fields, Police said. Farmers are fearful that the Maoists may attack their fields in Paliganj, about 40 kilometers from State capital Patna. "We are protecting our potato crop with guns," local farmerRamadhar Singh said. Also, about 2,000 labourers have been hired by the farmers to harvest the potato crop in nearly 1,000 bigha (400 acres) land in Paliganj riverineareas. In past also, farmers guarded their fields in Maoist-affected Districts of Bihar.

Armed CPI-Maoist cadres blew up two school buildings in Aurangabad , 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.

In another attack, the Maoists detonated dynamites to blow up another school building at Belowa, he added. However, there are no reports of any injury or casualty.

Police seized a large number of detonators and neutralised a Maoist training camp in the Jamui District. The anti-Maoist operation was launched by the Superintendents of Police of Munger, Lakhisarai and Jamui Districts. Acting on a tip-off, Munger SP M. Sunil Kumar Nayak said that Police of the three Districts conducted raids at a Maoist hideout in the Karmagh village under Barhat Police Station of Jamui District and recovered a big gas cylinder and a tractor without number plate besides a large number of detonators and Police uniforms from a small hut. The Maoists were running a training camp there, Police added. It is presumed that the extremists had escaped the hideout after getting clue of the Police operation. The Munger SP said the village is situated in a deep forest, at least 10 kilometres away from the Police Station. Police also said the village is a Maoist stronghold.