Chhattisgarh Timeline 2010

Date

Incidents

January 2

Chhattisgarh Police said that it has devised a new strategy to combat the CPI-Maoist by packing a small area with adequate security personnel to force the Maoists to flee and develop it later.

The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has cut down iron ore transportation by 35 percent daily since January 1 as railway authorities have cancelled movement of goods trains during the night due to a shutdown call by the CPI-Maoist in Chhattisgarh.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a tribal civilian on suspicion of him acting as a Police informer in the Dantewada District.

At a forested village Gorkha under Bhejji Police Station, G. S. Marawi, the Additional Superintendent of Police (Dantewada) and a Special Police Officer, Bhunesh, sustained serious injuries when they stepped on a pressure-mine planted by the Maoists.

Two people were arrested and marijuana plants over a 10-acre uprooted in Bijapur District, a senior Police officer said adding that the plants were being grown by Maoists.

Four Maoists were arrested from Dantewada District, Police said. They arrestees were identified as Dashalram, Sonuram, Gunjam Somal and Barla Node. The extremists were arrested from forests near Kamakut village, Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra told PTI. Police suspect the arrested to be behind the torching of trucks belonging to a construction company in December 2009.

A Union Home Ministry report revealed that among the worst Naxal (left wing extremism)-infested States, maximum Naxalites were killed in Chhattisgarh.

Four CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with a Police party comprising the CoBRA and the Koya Commandos at Surpanaguda area near Jagurugondo in Dantewada District.

A total of 23,051 kilograms of marijuana was seized in Chhattisgarh in 2009, Police said.

The SFs shot dead three CPI-Maoist cadres during an encounter in the Bijapur District.

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist, wanted in several cases including arson, were arrested in the Dantewada District.

Chhattisgarh has received INR 1490 million aid from the Union Government since 2005-06 for modernising its Police force.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in a gun battle in the Dantewada District.

13 CPI-Maoist cadres and one Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group) activist were killed in a firing between Maoists and the Police in the dense Pareshgadh forest area, near Andhra Pradesh border, of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blocked roads in the Narayanpur District during their three-day shutdown, which began on January 25.

The CPI-Maoist cadres set 19 vehicles ablaze including trucks and excavators in Dantewada District. All the four-wheeler vehicles were a part of a project of the National Mineral Development Corporation in Kirandul area.

Chhattisgarh Government could consider changing the State's tendu patta (leaves of Diospyros melonoxylon) policy in a move to choke the income line of the CPI-Maoist.

A CRPF trooper was killed in a CPI-Maoist-triggered pressure bomb blast at Ettegata village on Injaram-Bheji road in the Dantewada District.

Head Constable Ajay Bhagat of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force was injured in a gun battle with the Maoists near Karkeli in Bijapur District.

The Police raided a Maoist hideout in the forests near Hatkara village in Kanker District in the early morning of January 29 and arrested a woman Maoist leader Renu Mandavi.

The CRPF has adopted two villages in Chhattisgarh - Jakba and Lokhandi. "CRPF has started two types of operations. The first one is Operation Green Hunt which is to arrest Maoists by raiding certain areas, and the second is, to adopt villages which are often affected by Maoist attacks," said Subhas Khunte, CRPF officer.

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

Senior officers in the Central Para-military Forces said violence levels had gone down in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra primarily because of the increased deployment of SFs.

As SFs intensified their efforts to push into the CPI-Maoist controlled Abuz Maad area in the Bastar forests of southern Chhattisgarh; the Maoist leadership moved the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters into neighbouring Orissa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Intelligence officers believe that there are five companies (each with strength of 100) of the PLGA, which has a strong presence in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Sources said two companies were moved to Orissa, one to Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, one to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and another to Jharkhand.

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

A contingent of Police Force along with 300 SPOs was trapped in a landmine and then ambushed by CPI-Maoist cadres at a village in Dantewada District where they were going to find the whereabouts of 12 missing tribals in pursuance of the Supreme Court's February 8 order.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres, including a woman, were shot dead by the Police during a combing operation at Gangloor area in Bijapur District. One rifle and some explosives were recovered from the incident site.

A group of 50 cadres and supporters of the CPI-Maoist dragged two villagers out of their house and killed them in Kanker District suspecting them to be Police informers.

One person, identified as Charan Singh was arrested for allegedly assisting Maoists after some explosives and Maoist literature were seized from his house in Dhamtari District.

Police arrested 11 cadres of the CPI-Maoist from Durgkondal area in Kanker District and seized explosives and guns from them.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a state-run school building at Maheshwari village in Jamui District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed Basudeo Singh (55), a farmer of Hasanpur village under Rajepur Police station in Motihari District, suspecting him to be a Police informer. Police recovered four posters, 12 empty cartridges of 9 mm pistol, two live cartridges and one live cartridge of a Self Loading Rifle (SLR) from the spot.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze two vehicles and equipment of two private construction companies engaged in road construction at Mauar Khaira and Hawai villages in Aurangabad District, apparently for not meeting extortion demand.

Security Forces seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition and communication equipment from a hideout of the CPI-Maoist in the Narayanpur forest of Chhattisgarh. Police recovered pipe bombs, rifles and Maoist uniforms.

Five cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested along with loaded guns and Maoist literature from Murarpani village in Rajnandgaon District.

The Chhattisgarh Police arrested five cadres of the CPI-Maoist from Rowghat Forest area in Kanker District. The arrested Maoists were identified as Lakhmu, Jai Singh, Santu, Hannu and Kohlu. Lakhmu was presiding over the Gardha Area Committee of the Maoists.

Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist abducted a security personnel posted with the DRDO unit in Bastar from Gorli area in Dantewada District. Police said 26-year-old Vinay Kumar Chouhan, who was on leave, belonged to Kukanar village.

A 'deputy commander' of the CPI-Maoist, Madhu Markam (25), was arrested by the Police from a thickly forested stretch in Kanker District. Markam, who hails from Bijapur in Bastar was carrying a reward of INR 150,000 on his head. The Police recovered explosives and Maoist literature from Markam.

Chhattisgarh State's panchayatraj (local level self-Government) Minister Ramvichar Netam said in the State Legislative Assembly that the CPI-Maoist cadres have stopped work of 300 roads which were to be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the Bastar region.

Two CRPF personnel, head constable B. Haribhai and constable Balbir Singh were killed and three others were injured in an IED blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres on Awapalli-Basaguda road, about 500 kilometres south of the State capital Raipur.

CPI-Maoist terror threats have held up road laying work under a central Government scheme (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) in Dantewada District, with only one road of the 50 sanctioned being completed, panchayat Minister Ramvichar Netam said in the assembly.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist fought gun battles with the Police at three separate locations in Bastar region. A gun battle broke out in Bastar District's Mardum area when armed Maoists opened fire on a joint-contingent of the District Force (DF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Two other gun battles between the Police and the Maoists were reported from forested stretches of Narayanpur and Bijapur Districts. Bastar District Superintendent of Police, P. Sundaraj, claimed that four Maoists were killed in the gun battle but sources at the Police headquarters said Police failed to recover any dead body but three Maoists were arrested with some arms and ammunition.

Official sources said five battalions (over 5,000 personnel) of the BSF have been asked to move to Orissa border with Chhattisgarh. They said the deployment would be completed by month-end and the anti-Maoist operations in the strategic area are likely to begin around the same time.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said in the State Legislative Assembly that, "As many as 90 Maoists were killed and 12 of their terror camps were destroyed till Feb 27 this year in state's Bastar region under Operation Green Hunt."

Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from Koilibera area of Kanker District in Bastar region. Kanker Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said that six guns and explosives were recovered from them.

The latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) for the year ended March 31, 2009 points out that the State's Police department is facing shortage of weapons. The Police department had 49,143 units of weapons, of which 11,232 or about 23 per cent were obsolete. There was also shortage of weapons as per Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) norms. There was shortage of light vehicles in the Police stations as well.

75 CRPF personnel and a State Policeman were killed in an attack by about 1000 CPI-Maoist cadres in Dantewada District.

A little over 36 hours after the Maoists ambushed a CRPF party in the Tarmetola forest near Chintalnar in Dantewada, the Maoists launched another audacious attack on the SFs in the night.

A joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and State Police arrested 12 suspected Maoists and seized their weapons from Koilibeda area of Kanker District.

The Dandakaranya special zonal committee of CPI-Maoist admitted that they also lost eight of their cadres in the Dantewada attack that killed 76 Security Force personnel. The attack was to mark the centenary of the Bhumkal adivasi rebellion and was to send a message to Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram to stop Operation Green Hunt.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced an inquiry into the massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on April 6. The inquiry will be conducted by one-member committee of retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer E. N. Rammohan. It will submit its report in 15 days.

The CRPF said it was conducting anti-Maoist operations in close consultation with Chhattisgarh Police and a joint offensive would be carried out.

One local leader of the CPI-Maoist was killed in an encounter with the Police and the BSF and 11 others were arrested in separate incidents from Narayanpur District of Bastar region.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were successfully tested over the dense forests of Bastar in the first trial run for operations targeting the CPI-Maoist.

According to Ramanna, 'secretary' of the 'south Bastar regional committee' of the Maoists, media reports that Maoists used 1,000 fighters and three light machine guns and booby-trapped all trees on April 6 to attack CRPF men in Dantewada District were exaggerated. He also claimed to have set the ambush in 40 minutes.

Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) dressed in CRPF uniform fired at Dantewada massacre (April 6, 2010) probe team headed by former BSF Director General E. N. Rammohan, at Chintalnar in Dantewada District. No one was injured in the firing.

Three engines and 14 bogies of a goods train, laden with iron ore, derailed as the track near Tilabjhodi village in Bastar District was found uprooted by unidentified persons. Though no literature or posters were found from the site, Police are probing whether Naxals were behind the incident.

Vinay Kodium, postman and also a local businessman, was shot dead by around 25 cadres of the CPI-Maoist at a weekly market in Matwada village in Bijapur District. The Maoists suspected him to be a supporter of their opponents.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist carried out near-simultaneous attacks on five camps of the CRPF in Dantewada District, triggering gunbattles.

Four cadres of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Sundarlal, Sukalu, Narayan and Kamlesh, were arrested from a forested hamlet at Durgkondal in Kanker District.

Three Maoists, including a couple, surrendered before the Police in Bijapur District. The Maoists are identified as Dilip and his wife Sadhna and Sannu. Dilip, a 'commander' among the Maoists was associated with the movement for the last six years while his wife and Sannu were with the group for the last two years.

Former Chief of the BSF, E.N. Rammohan, submitted his report to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the April 6 Maoist ambush killing 76 Security Force personnel in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh.

In a bid to inspire its cadres, the CPI-Maoist is showing its cadres a CD of the April 6 massacre in Chhattisgarh in which 76 Security Force personnel were killed.

Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a pressure bomb blast in Bijapur District, which caused serious injuries to two engineers of the public sector telecommunications undertaking Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Suspected Maoists attacked family of Prem Singh at Panidobri village in Kanker District and looted household items worth INR 6,000.

The CPI-Maoist cadres opened random firing near a camp of the paramilitary Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at Errabore in Dantewada District.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed Rajkumar Nayak, an activist of the 'Salwa Judum', (anti-Maoist vigilante group), under Mirtur Police station in Bijapur District.

Thirteen Maoists were arrested by the Police from Bijapur District. Eight Maoists were arrested from Ponjer village while five others were apprehended from jungles near the village.

Three armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in two separate gunfights with Security Force personnel in Bastar region. Two Maoists were killed in Narayanpur District in Benur's forested stretch while third one was killed in Bijapur District. The Maoist killed in Bijapur was later identified as Rattu Ram Korsa.

Dilip, a 'commander' of the CPI-Maoist, was arrested along with his six associates by a team of Chhattisgarh Armed Forces in a forested pocket of Bastar region's Narayanpur District. Dilip carried a reward of INR 50,000 for his capture. Explosives such as detonators and tiffin-box bomb besides Maoist literature were seized from them.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told Rajya Sabha "As such, 62nd Battalion was not among those trained by the army."

Eight CRPF personnel were killed when CPI-Maoist cadres blew up their bullet-proof vehicle near Pedakodepal village on National Highway 16 in Bijapur District and then fired at the security personnel.

Director General of Chhattisgarh Police Vishwa Ranjan said, "The big problem is we have no technology and resources to de-mine the massive forested pockets. Without taking out landmines it's literally impossible to go after them freely in thickly forested areas where Maoists are always ready with a booby trap." Bastar region is spread over nearly 40,000 square kilometres area of which up to 25,000 square kilometres is intensively mined, Ranjan added.

A group of the CPI-Maoist cadres fired at a CRPF post at Chintalnar village in Dantewada District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed Jagdev, brother of a Special Police Officer (SPO) in Partapu village in Kanker District.

Maoists abducted five persons from Sarandi village in Kanker District.

Security Force personnel unearthed 65 kilograms of landmine from two separate places in Dantewada District. A joint patrol team of Police and CRPF recovered 50 kilograms of explosives along national highway stretch between Gorkha and Bheji areas. The Security Forces unearthed 15 kilograms of landmine along the highway stretch between Chintalnar and Mukran.

Maoists killed Kumar Bhuare, one of the five abducted villagers, suspecting him to be a Police informer and released other hostages. Maoists had abducted five villagers from Sarandi Police station area in Kanker District on May 14.

Police recovered 45 kilograms of landmine in Koilibeda in Kanker District. The mine was planted near Mendki River in Markanar village.

Six villagers, including a sarpanch (village head), were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Teregaon in Rajnandgaon District.

Two Maoists were killed in an encounter near Gumiyapal village under the Kirandul station area in Dantewada District. Police also recovered arms and ammunition from the place.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed 44 persons, including 28 civilians and 16 Special Police Officers (SPOs), when they blew up a bus by triggering an improvised explosive device (IED) on a black-top road at Chingavaram near Sukma in Dantewada District. Four civilians and two SPOs were also injured. There were around 32 civilians and 18 SPOs in the bus.

South Bastar regional committee secretary of the CPI-Maoist Ravula Srinivas alias Ramanna said that their attack on May 17 in Dantewada District was a calculated attack targeted at the Koya Commando wing of Special Police Officers (SPOs). Ramanna added that the CPI-Maoist deeply regretted the loss of civilian lives. The attack was a revenge for the raping and killing of tribals of Goomiyapal, Gompad, Palodi and Singaram villages by the Koya Commandos.

A suspected cadre of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Midiyam Bandi, was shot dead by the Police when he tried to escape from their custody in Sukma Police station in Dantewada District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres looted ammonium nitrate from a truck in a jungle near Dhamteri District.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that the CPI-Maoist may have forged links with Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Raman Singh also stated that Maoists are the biggest terrorists.

Ten cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested while planning to lay land mines at various places in the forest of Narayanpur District by a joint team of the District Police force, STF and Koya Commandos. Five detonators, 400 meter long electricity wire and battery etc. was recovered from them.

The Rammohan committee, appointed to look into the April 6 massacre of 76 troopers at Chintalnar in Dantewada, has fixed the responsibility on Dantewada Superintendent of Police Amreesh Mishra and local CRPF Deputy Inspector General Nalini Prabhat for sending the troopers on the operation without going into security concerns.

The Police arrested six cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including Maoist commander Barsa Lakhma, from Morpali in Dantewada District. They were allegedly involved in the killing of 76 troopers at Chintalnar in Dantewada District on April 6, 2010. The others were identified as Oyam Hidma, Podiyami Hidma, Kawasi Budra, Oya Ganga and Dura Joga.

Five cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including a commander, were arrested by Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from the jungles of Kongera village in Narayanpur District. They were identified as Lehar Singh (the commander), Bir Singh, Juglu, Manku and Mahesh Baghel. One rifle, a pipe bomb, electric wire and some explosives were seized from them.

Maoists set ablaze road construction equipment including several trucks and earthmoving machinery near Barabsapur village in Kanker District.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, dropped hints that his Government may ignore the Union Government's directive to take two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, posted in Dantewada District, to task in connection with the April 6, 2010 massacre of 76 Security Force personnel at Chintalnar by Maoists.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed BJP local leader Budhara Sodi at Keralapal village in Dantewada District.

The secretary of the South Bastar Regional Committee of the CPI-Maoist, Ravula Srinivas alias Ramana has taken responsibility for the assassination of Budhra Sodi, former BJP District president of Dantewada on May 26. "He has been a target of ours for a long time," said Ramana.

A bus carrying about 70 passengers managed to dodge the landmine blast triggered by the suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Bijapur District.

The CRPF constituted a Court of Inquiry (CoI) against three of its officers and a retired Inspector General, shunted out of Chhattisgarh, following a report on the April 6, 2010 Dantewada massacre by Maoists, to look into the "specific acts of omission and commission" by them.

Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist abducted three tribal girls from a village in Bijapur District.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed and another arrested in an encounter with the Security Force personnel at a forest near Warla village in Kanker District of Bastar region. Five loaded pistols were seized from the arrested Maoist.

In another encounter in a forest near Dadargarh village in Kanker District, the Police seized weapons including SLR rifle.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed during an encounter with SFs at Murgunda village in Bijapur District.

Maoists damaged the Bijapur-Gangloor road near Ponjer village in Bijapur District by digging ditches at 12 locations within a one kilometre area.

The Government has withdrawn nearly 100 civilian staff working in Maoist-hit areas of Chhattisgarh after a Maoist attack on May 17, 2010 at Chingavaram near Sukma in Dantewada District killing 44 persons.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken said that Police Force will have to improve its efficiency and enhance its technological prowess to tackle non-conventional crimes. He was talking at the concluding ceremony of the 40th All India Police Science Congress in the State capital Raipur.

Around 50 suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a forest rest house in the Mader range in Bijapur District.

Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested by Police in Traoki village of Kanker District. Police seized two tiffin bombs, each weighing 10 kilograms from them.

A special squad of the CRPF recovered a 10-kilogram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from near Tunggi Nallah area of Bijapur District.

A senior CRPF officer said that almost 326 kilograms of IEDs have been recovered by anti-sabotage teams in the last nine days from May 31 from various Left Wing Extremism affected States.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed in a gun battle with Security Forces after the Maoists executed a landmine blast in Dantewada District.

Chhattishgarh Government transferred Dantewanda District Superintendent of Police (SP) and 14 other officials on the recommendations of the Rammohan Committee. Eleven Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including Dantewada SP Ambrish Mishra, and four State-level Policemen were transferred.

Four armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed assistant sub-inspector of Police Shivkumar Mandawi (40), at a weekly market in full public view in an interior pocket of Kanker District.

A joint contingent of the CRPF and State Police recovered 10 IEDs from Bangalipara area in Dantewada District during a road opening exercise.

Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed two villagers, identified as Podium Dhaniram (19) and Telam Santu (18), in a village market of Bijapur District.

Six Left Wing Extremists were arrested from Badepalli village in Bijapur District. They were identified as Oyami Sona, Oyami Jaggu, Oyami Raju, Jaggu, Farsa Buddhu and Oyam Badru.

At least two cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including a woman, were shot dead in an encounter with Security Forces in the Kohkameta Forest in Narayanpur District. Apart from ammunitions, like fully loaded magazines of AK-47, rifles, battery and detonators, the Police also recovered medicines and literature from their possession.

Six Naxals (Left wing extremists) were arrested in Kanker District. Acting on a tip-off that some Naxalites were planning to carry out a major attack in Masoor Pipli village in the District, a joint team of Boarder Security Force and Police raided the area and arrested the six Naxals, Kanker Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said.

Three personnel of the Chhattisgarh Police were killed when cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a blast and later opened indiscriminate fire just about 100 metres away from Gollappalli Police station in Konta block in Dantewada District. The killed Policemen were head constable Ramesh Kujur and constables Santosh Yadav and Ashok Markam.

The Maoists killed two civilians in neighbouring Bijapur District.

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed a former Police official Venkaiya Anganpalli (40) and his cousin Ramesh Anganpalli in Bijapur District. The bodies of the victims were found by the locals on the outskirts of the Kandulnar village.

Chhattisgarh Government decided that it would spend INR 1.7 billion to build roads in the Maoist-infested areas of Bastar region. The decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of Bastar Development Authority (BDA) that prepared an action plan of development in the insurgency-hit areas of the region. Chief Minister Raman Singh chaired the meeting.

Chief Minister Raman Singh approved projects worth INR 80 million for the the Naxal-infested region in the State.

Three civilians were shot dead by cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Bastar District on charges of being informers, Police said. Maoists stormed into Pattegaon village in Bastar late in the night and took away four people. The bullet-ridden bodies of three of them were found in a forest next morning. The fourth person, Parsuram, was found alive with gunshot wounds and he was been admitted to a local hospital.

The proposed school for anti-Naxal operations may come up in Chhattisgarh with the State Government offering to house a dedicated training centre proposed by the Army. The state is prepared to set out 1,200 acres for a campus.

27 personnel of the 39 Battalion of the CRPF including Assistant Commandant Jatin Gulati were killed in a CPI-Maoist ambush in Narayanpur District. The attack took place near a hilly stretch known as the Jhadha Ghati, three kilometres from Dhudhai base camp.

Seven CRPF personnel were injured in a landmine blast in the Bijapur District. The landmine was suspected to have been planted by Maoist. CRPF troopers were trying to diffuse the landmine before it triggered.

Four Maoists suspected to be behind the murder of a village head and five others in Rajnandgaon District in April were arrested. A joint team of local Police and special task force arrested the extremists-Baishakhu, Prabhuram, Naru and Hajju-from Unchapur Teregaon area. Petrol bombs and Naxal literature, among other things, were seized from the arrested Maoists.

Union Home minister P. Chidambaram said the Union Government wanted Chhattisgarh to "revisit some of the deployment" of paramilitary forces in view of the frequent Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attacks in the State. "The deployments of the Security Forces in the State were made in the past three years when the State Police resources were inadequate," Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram further said the Maoists have been continuing their violence in June, killing 53 civilians and branding many of them Police informers. 18 Maoists have also been killed in retaliatory strikes by the Security Forces, he added.

The Maoists admitted that they lost three men of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) - 'platoon commanders' Bandu and Shankar, and 'section commander' Ramesh. However, they claimed to have carried away eight AK47s, eight INSAS rifles, three SLRs, two two-inch mortars and 2 LMGs.

Three civilians were reportedly killed by Maoists in Narayanpur District. However, suspecting it to be a trap laid by Maoists, the Police initiated a probe into the authenticity of information.

The Chhattisgarh Government agreed to "redeploy" the central forces taking in view the operational objective.

Two 'commanders' of Dandakaranya division of the CPI-Maoist, Pandu and Eitu, led the ambush on the CRPF contingent at Dhudhai in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur District on June 29. Pandu (50) is a resident of Yapral in Ranga Reddy District. He is in-charge of North Bureau of CPI-Maoist (in Dandakaranya of Chattisgarh).

Eitu who sports several aliases such as Gajarla Ashok, Prasad, Ranganna and Janardhan (32) is a native of Velisala village in Chityal mandal of Nalgonda District. He is in-charge of South Bastar Committee (Dandakaranya).

"Pandu and Eitu had commanded at least 250 members of the Jan militia (armed rebels trained to fight security forces) to ambush the 66-member road opening team of CRPF at Dhudhai. They mobilised the local militiamen barely six hours before launching the attack", a senior intelligence officer told to the newspaper.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed three people, a village panchayat (village level self Government institution) secretary, a Kotwar (village Chowkidar) and a village patel, and threw their bodies near a remote village Dardali, under Bhopalpattanam Police station area in Bijapur District.

The Police seized 20 kilograms of explosives, ammonium nitrate and detonators from a village near Simgavaram, in Dantewada District.

The Maoists blew up a culvert on NH 221 at Jeeram, about 40 kilometres from Bastar divisional headquarters of Jagdalpur, disrupting traffic for many hours on the National Highway.

The Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai arrived in Chhattisgarh late in the night to review the security situation in the wake of frequent Maoists attacks in Bastar division.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked Kuakonda Police station and consequently the house of Congress leader Avdesh Gautam in Dantewada District, killing two of his relatives and leaving two others injured, including his son.

Armed Maoists struck at the Kuakonda Police Station in the District in the morning, drawing retaliation from the Police personnel. Police claimed that six Maoists were killed in the attack. However, their bodies were yet to be recovered.

After that they attacked the house of Congress leader Avdesh Gautam in nearby Nakulnar village. Five SF personnel posted at Gautam's house retaliated, a Police spokesman said. In the attack, two relatives of the Congress leader were killed and two others injured, including his son and a SF personnel. However, India Today reports that two Police personnel were also killed in the incident.

The Maoists fired at three CRPF camps in the State simultaneously, prompting the troops to retaliate, but no casualty was reported. The firing which started at around 2130 hours (local time) at the CRPF camps at Narayanpur, Dantewada and Bijapur Districts, went on for an hour, senior CRPF officials said.

A policeman, Harnarayan Thakur was killed by cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Erraguda village of Bijapur District.

The Police arrested two Maoists, Madvi Lakkhu and Ramdhar, who were hiding in the Pallevaya village of the District.

Leem Chand Patel, vice-president of the local agricultural market, was arrested by Narayanpur Police for helping the Maoists prior to the attack on CRPF personnel in Narayanpur District, which resulted in the death of 27 CRPF on June 29.

Vishwa Ranjan (DGP) told over phone that at least three Maoists were killed when security guards at the Nakulnar house of the Congress leader Avdhesh Singh Gautam in Dantewada District retaliated while another Maoist was shot dead by forces at Kuakonda Police Station in retaliatory firing.

A Police team survived a landmine attack by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist near Parleda village in Bijapur District. There was no damage as the vehicle carrying the Police team had just passed the site when the landmine was triggered.

The Union Government plans to build durable concrete roads in Maoist-affected areas so that they do not have to be repaired frequently under security cover. Chhattisgarh bagged about half of the INR 14.37 billion worth contracts for roads awarded so far, said a release from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Armed Maoists opened indiscriminate fire at a Police Station at Pamed, located in a remote area in Bijapur District, leading to an encounter with the Security Forces. However, there are no reports of casualties so far.

Four cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested in Narayanpur District. District Superintendent of Police Rahul Bhagat said Gadvaram, Mainuram, Som Singh and Bachhuram Dhruv, who also allegedly killed three villagers on June 30, were arrested in the Edka forest. The Police seized explosives and Maoist literature from them.

Six suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested in Dantewada District for attacking Congress party leader Avdesh Gautam's house and Kuakonda Police Station during the July 7-8 Maoist bandh. The arrested Maoists were identified as Channu Ram Mandavi, Annu Futane alias Anil Kumar, Sudru Ram Kunjam, Aanda, Harish Podiyami, and Ramu Bhaskar. They were arrested from Cholnar, Gidam, Kadampal, Potali, and Kuper villages, Dantewada Police said. Four jeeps and a motorcycle used during the attacks were also seized. According to Police, nearly 150 Maoists were involved in the attack. Maoists belonging to the Malangir area committee and Bhansi, which fall under the Darbhanga division, were involved in the attack, they said.

The Chhattisgarh Police claimed that the mastermind behind the attack, Lingamram Kodopi, had undergone militant training in Gujarat and New Delhi, and is currently doing a media-related course in the Capital [New Delhi]. An unsigned press release, sent by the Dantewada Police to newspaper offices, also claimed that the alleged mastermind, had links with Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Vanvasi Chetna Ashram of Himanshu Kumar, and was in touch with activists in Delhi such as Arundhati Roy, Nandini Sunder and Medha Patkar.

Around 50 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked a complex of State-owned National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) at Kirandul in Dantewada District, which is said to house large quantities of explosives, triggering a gun battle with the CISF personnel guarding the complex. There was, however, no immediate report of any casualty on either side. The Maoists set ablaze some vehicles.

The Maoists damaged rail tracks up to 30 metres between Bhansi and Bacheli railway stations in the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway.

One more Maoist was arrested in connection with the attack on Congress party leader Avdesh Gautam's house and a Koukanda Police Station. The arrested person was identified as Lala Ram Kunjam with this the total number of persons held in this case has gone up to seven.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist opened fire on Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group) activists located near camps of CRPF and Police, triggering a gunbattle in Dantewada District. However, there was no immediate report of casualty on either side. The Maoists targeted the Salwa Judum camps, which are located near camps of CRPF and Police, at six places-Injaram, Bhejji, Arrabore, Gorkha, Gonta and Maruiguda- from a distance, drawing immediate retaliation from the security personnel. The Maoist resorted to heaving firing in Injaram and Arrabore, said the sources.

A joint Police team raided a forested area in Kanker District and arrested three Maoists identified as Chamraram, Anil and Dayawati, Inspector General of Police (Bastar) T.J. Longkumer said. A crude bomb, some detonators and Maoist literature were recovered from the three, he added.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh advocated a concerted national strategy to combat the Naxal (Left Wing Extremist) menace and made a fervent plea that the country must rise above the constriction that Naxalism was the concern of any single State. Raman Singh was speaking at a meeting of Chief Ministers of the Naxal (Left Wing Extremism)-affected States, specially convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

According to intelligence reports of the State machinery, he said, the Dandakarnaya special zonal committee of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) had seven divisions and 32 area committees, under which 50,000 Naxal and Jan-militia cadres were engaged in waging a war against the country's democratic set-up.

More than 40 per cent of the encounters in the country with Maoists took place in Bastar. "Naxalites are trying to make Bastar their base area. They have formed a battalion and now they are working to form a brigade.'' The Chief Minister said the State Government was recruiting 3,000 to 4,000 Police personnel every year. In 2009, about 6,700 personnel were recruited and the number of recruitments would be 4,000 in 2010.

With the Union Government's support, he said, three Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorist schools were being opened within a month. "It is our estimate that at least 10 more battalions are urgently required for fighting Naxalites.'' He said 119 Naxalites were killed in the State and this was the highest in the country.

The Police in Chhattisgarh have compiled a list of media personnel allegedly linked to Maoists and whom they are "keeping track of". The names of dozens of journalists were found in a diary recovered from Maoist leader Azad who was killed by Police on July 2 in Andhra Pradesh, according to a top official in the State Intelligence Bureau. The official said the scribes, some of whom are associated with national media, are now under the scanner.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist felled trees and dug up roads in Bijapur District in protest against the alleged fake encounter killing of their leader, Cherukuri Rajkumar, alias Azad. The Maoists left a red banner condemning the killing of Azad by the security forces. Road traffic was affected in the region as the main highway through the Bijapur was dug up at many places.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist shot dead a tribal, identified as Sodhi Hunga (40), in the Kankerlanka village of Dantewada District, suspecting him to be a Police informer.

Nearly 100 Maoists damaged a school building at Puspal village of Dantewada District.

The CPI-Maoist selected comrade Abhay as the successor to Cherukuri Rajkumar, alias Azad, who served as the spokesperson of the Central Committee until he was killed. "As per my information, comrade Azad's role shall now be taken over by comrade Abhay," Dandakaranya special zonal committee spokesperson Gudsa Usendi said. Usendi clarified that while he had received information from "one line of communication from Bastar," he was still awaiting confirmation of Abhay's appointment from the rest of the party. 'Gudsa Usendi' is a pseudonym adopted by Maoist spokespersons while speaking to the press.

The Chhattisgarh Police arrested 18 suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist during a routine Police patrol in Bijapur District. "These people were arrested today. Belonging to the Maoist group, these persons perpetrated several murders of Police personnel, kidnappings and had even planted bombs and explosives in various parts of the region," said Rajendra Das, Additional Superintendent of Police, Bijapur.

The State Police busted a Maoists hideout in Kanker District and seized a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives.

The cadres of CPI-Maoist shot dead Raghu Singh (55), a prominent leader of Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group), in Bhopalpatnam area of Bijapur District. Raghu Singh was leading the Salwa Judum movement in the Bhopalpatnam area. He was a close aide of Mahendra Karma, the man credited for launch of the Salwa Judum movement in June 2005. He had a few weeks ago sought police protection, saying he feared for his life. However, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Avinash Mohanty denied knowledge of Singh seeking Police cover.

A group of the CPI-Maoist cadres intercepted a private bus belonging to Tomar Travels at a place 15 kilometres away from Mardadand village under Basaguda Police limits in Bijapur District and fled with the vehicle after evacuating all 22 passengers on board. Later the vehicle was found abandoned near the village.

Replying to an adjournment motion on Naxal (Left Wing Extremism) issue in the State Assembly, Chief Minister Raman Singh said around 25,000 Policemen were recruited in the State in last seven years and a 'jungle warfare' college was established in Kanker to train Policemen in fighting against Naxals.

Replying to an adjournment motion on Naxal [Left Wing Extremism] issue in the State Assembly, Chief Minster Raman Singh said the Naxals [Left Wing Extremists] did not want to be bracketed in Chhattisgarh or some other States but want to capture Delhi. He said the Naxal menace is a national issue and not a concern of ruling, opposition or a particular party.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze five trucks of the Essar Group at Kirandul in Bailadila hills, an iron ore rich location, in Dantewada District, during the second day of the week-long 'martyr's week' called by the outfit.

A fast track court sentenced two Maoists, including the wife of Maoist spokesman Gudsa Usendi, to 10 years imprisonment, for distributing Naxal literature and CDs among Chhattisgarh Legislators in the Member of Legislative Assembly Rest House in Raipur four years ago. Additional Sessions Judge B. P. Pandey convicted K. S. Priya alias Malti (40) and Surendra Kosaria (40), both residents of Durg under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The Police suffered no casualty in the reported gunfight with the CPI-Maoist in the forest between Kutrem and Gumiapal near Kirandul in Dantewada District. For several hours during the day, it appeared that Security Forces (SFs) in Dantewada might have been ambushed and suffered heavy casualties. ''The encounter with the Maoists began around 11 am and lasted for two hours with intermittent exchange of fire,'' said Longkumer, Inspector General (IG) Police (Bastar). He could not confirm who fired first. It was also unclear if any Maoist had been killed. ''We searched the area, but did not find any bodies,'' he said. However, the Police later claimed to have recovered the body of one Maoist.

At least 16 cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from Mader area of Bijapur District of Bastar region. The Maoists were involved in attacks on Government properties in recent months in Bijapur and in the recent killing of member of the Salwa Judum (an anti-Maoist vigilante group), in Bhopalpatnam locality in the same District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres had a brief exchange of fire with the Police who were going around a forest under the Koilibeda area. The Police recovered six loaded guns from the incident site after the Maoists managed to escape.

Police arrested four CPI-Maoist cadres from a forest at Manahkal village in Kanker District in connection with some old cases registered against them.

To prevent the threat of the CPI-Maoist getting closer to the State capital and rein-in their activities, the Chhattisgarh Government has created a new Police District at Gariyaband, about 75 km from Raipur. Gariyaband has six Police Stations and another five have been sanctioned.

Police arrested four cadres of the CPI-Maoist from Mohlagaon village in Kanker District. Inspector General of Police (Bastar) T.J. Longkumer said that the four were involved in the recent killings of four civilians in Kanker which included the murder of a village head who was suspected to be a Police informer. Two guns and some documents were recovered from the Maoists, Longkumer added.

Koya commando and District Police Force of Chinta Gufa Police Station shot dead three cadres of the CPI-Maoist in a brief exchange of fire in Korapahad and Rangaiguda village of Dantewada District. Police are suspecting the deceased Maoists' involvement in the April 6 massacre at Tarmetla in the District where 76 paramilitary troopers were killed. A machine gun, one 12-boar gun, a loaded pistol and a cartridge were recovered from the spot, Police said.

Six suspected Maoists were arrested in two separate incidents in Kanker District, Police said. Four Maoists identified as Ram Singh, Amuram, Rajauram, and Manesingh were arrested from Pakhanjur bazaar under Pakhanjur station area, District Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said. Hand grenades were recovered from their possession, he added. Two other Maoists identified as Chain Singh and Sonuram were arrested near Bandepara forests in Koilibeda area of the District. A locally-made rifle, one pipe-bomb, and a detonator were recovered from their possession, he added.

Five suspected Maoists were arrested by the Police from Singpur village of Magarlod Police Station in Dhamtari District. A cash amount of INR 160,000, one rifle, Naxal uniforms and other material was recovered from them.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.K. Sharma said that the forest department suffers an annual loss of about INR 1 billion because the department is not able to work in about 55 percent of Chhattisgarh's forests that are dominated by Maoists.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed two persons, identified as Dhanesh (25) and Durgu Dakua (39) and injured Raisingh a Special Police Officer (SPO) under Bandgaon Police Station area in Kanker District. Maoists accused Dhanesh of being a Police informer.

The beheaded body of Kanhaiya Yadav, a Constable belonging to the 204 Battalion of CoBRA posted at Mazgaon, was found near Jagdalpur in Bastar. Maoists are suspected to be the perpetrators of the crime.

About 60 armed Maoists set ablaze six trucks and stopped Jagdalpur-bound trucks coming from Kirandool and threatened their drivers not to ply on the route in Dantewada District.

Chief Minister Raman Singh announced that the ex-gratia amount for Police personnel killed in Maoist violence would be increased to INR 1.5 million from INR 500,000.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a newly-built tehsil office damaging a large portion of the office building in Kuwangkoda of Dantewada District. No casualties were reported in the incident and most of the documents and office records are safe, the sources said.

Three CPI-Maoist cadres, identified as Shivlal, Mayaram and Itwaru Ram, were arrested with guns, detonators and other explosive items from Kanker District. They belonged to Keshkal dalam of the Maoists in the District.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a panchayat bhawan, a school and an anganwadi centre in Kutrem village of Dantewada District. However, there were no reports of casualties, as the buildings were completely vacant when the incident occurred, Police said.

A joint search party of the Chhattisgarh Police and BSF arrested two armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Manhar and Sukhram, from a forested area in Kanker District.

Three BSF troopers, a constable of the Chhattisgarh Police and a SPO were killed while another constable was injured in an ambush set up by the CPI-Maoist at Bhuski, 8.5 kilometres away from the Durgkondal Police Station in Kanker District in the morning. "The ambush occurred at 6.50 a.m.," Kanker Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said. "A joint party of the BSF and the DF [the District Force] had set out on an area domination and road opening exercise." Around 100-150 Maoists opened fire on the force, killing five persons on the incident site. The encounter lasted 40 minutes. "We have also lost five weapons: two AK 47s and one light machine gun belonging to the BSF men and the two INSAS rifles carried by the District Policemen," Yadav added.

A Maoist was killed and another injured in an encounter that took place in the forest of Mankeli village in Bijapur District. The injured Maoist was arrested. The Police recovered explosives from the encounter site.

The Union Government informed the Supreme Court that Salwa Judum, constituted by the Chhattisgarh Government to deal with Naxal violence, was on the way out and it was not extending any support to the militia. Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the Centre, told a Bench of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar, "We have instructed the State Government not to extend any support to Salwa Judum activists or to any private armed group."

SFs arrested six armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist at Kosekodi village in Kanker District. Police officials said the arrest was the result of a joint operation by the BSF, District Police and SPOs who had received information about the movement of Maoists in the area. After a brief exchange of fire, the SFs arrested the Maoists and they are yet to be identified. Eight loaded pistols and some explosives were recovered from those arrested, Police said.

A Policeman, identified as Nobel Khalko, was killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres at a weekly market under Katekalyan Police Station in Dantewada District.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze seven iron ore-laden trucks near Nareli village in Dantewada District. The trucks were transporting iron ore from mines of Bailadila in the District to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The attackers warned truck drivers not to venture into the area.

A Maoist couple, identified as Kamlesh (25) alias Rajendra and his wife Varsha (23), was arrested from the forest area falling under Churia Police Station in Rajnandgaon District. The couple carried a reward of INR 60,000 on their head which was declared by the Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Police. The couple worked in different Maoist Dalams in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The Police arrested four cadres of the CPI-Maoist during a search operation in Bastar District. "We successfully arrested four Maoists identified as Baman, Pardesi, Sukhman and Sukhram. Out of these Baman and Pardesi carried INR 5,000 reward. The other two, Sukhman and Sukhram, were involved in murder case in which they beheaded a person named Bomra Ram on August 24," said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Surjeet Singh.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed three Policemen including an officer, in Bijapur District, while three other members of a Police team were missing. Bodies of Assistant Police Inspector Sablu Bhagat, a Policeman Vidhan Tirkey and Constable B. Topo were recovered from the forests near Dipla village under Bhopalpatnam Police Station area, ADG Ramnivas said. Constables Subhash Patre, Nandlal Kaushik and Narendra Bhosle are missing. All six were part of a Police team that had left for Bhadrakali Police Station from Bhopalpatnam on September 19, he added. Police suspect that Maoists were behind the killings.

A group of around 20 armed Maoists stormed Bangapal village under Kodali Police Station and dragged one Mirna Munda (25), a former SPO, from his house and beat him till he breathed his last. Munda had resigned from his post some days ago following a Maoist threat.

Kanderam Gondi (34) a sarpanch was lynched by the Maoists at Madnwada, suspecting him to be a Police informer. Gondi, who was abducted by a group of Maoists on September 18. His bodywas found dead by villagers in Karketta forest.

Bijapur District Police Officials said a Policeman, identified as Dularam Sodhi of Bhadrakali Police Station, went missing on September 16. A search has been launched to trace him, they added.

A SPO was killed and eight others, including an assistant Sub-Inspector and three civilians were injured when armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist opened fire at them at the site of the construction of a culvert between Usoor and Awapalli in Bijapur District.

A close aide of Maoist leader and spokesperson Gudsa Usendi, identified as Radheshyam Giri, was arrested from Pulgaon Police limits in Durg District. Some Maoist literature was seized from him. Giri, who was living in a rented flat in Raipur since last three years posing as a salesman and a social worker, was allegedly assisting Maoists, Police said. He served as a communicator in the Naxal link by handing over letters to operatives besides helping them out with weapons, finances and medical aid in case of injuries, Police added.

The CPI-Maoist set a 48-hour deadline in the evening for accepting their demands for releasing the four Policemen they claim to have abducted on September 19. There were a few handwritten leaflets found in Bijapur District's Bhopalpatanam area in which Maoists threatened to kill the abducted Policemen within 48 hours if their demand is not met. The demands are scrapping the anti-Maoist drive Green Hunt, releasing a few people of four villages, stopping alleged Police atrocities and starting peace talks. Police said those 'villagers' whose release the Maoists had demanded were actually village-level cadres of Maoists arrested on charges of involvement in unlawful activities. Maoists had abducted seven Policemen on September 19 from Bhopalpatnam area of Bijapur District close to Andhra Pradesh border and had killed three of them a day later. Officials at the Police headquarters said that an Assistant Sub-Inspector, S. Bhagat, and three Constables are in the Maoists' captivity.

September 26

The CPI-Maoist set a 48-hour deadline in the evening for accepting their demands for releasing the four Policemen they claim to have abducted on September 19. "There were a few handwritten leaflets found in Bijapur District's Bhopalpatanam area Sunday [September 26] in which Maoists have stated their demands included scrapping the anti-Maoist drive otherwise they will eliminate the policemen within 48 hours," State DGP Vishwa Ranjan said. Maoists had abducted seven Policemen on September 19 from Bhopalpatnam area of Bijapur District close to Andhra Pradesh border and had killed three of them a day later. Officials at the Police headquarters said that an Assistant Sub-Inspector, S. Bhagat, and three Constables are in the Maoists’ captivity and the Maoists have probably been shuttling them from one densely forested location to another between Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. "The letter has stated demands for scrapping the anti-Maoist drive Green Hunt, releasing a few people of four villages, stopping alleged police atrocities and starting peace talks," the DGP said. He said those 'villagers' whose release the Maoists had demanded were actually village-level cadres of Maoists arrested on charges of involvement in unlawful activities.

September 30

The four Policemen abducted by the CPI-Maoist were released late in the night.

October 2

A CRPF trooper and a Police official were injured in a CPI-Maoist attack which was carried out in Sukma block of Dantewada District. Maoists attacked Anil Tondon and Ashok Yadav when the two had gone to the market to buy vegetables.

October 7

Two senior cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from Lohandiguda area in Bastar District. "The two youths in their late 20s were active in Bastar District for years. They had been involved in a few attacks in the past two years," SP P. Sundarraj said.

October 9

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist and two civilians were killed in a gun battle between Maoists and SFs near Padki Pali village in Mahasamund District along Chhattisgarh-Orissa boarder. The villagers were killed in the cross-fire. "The gun battle broke out when a contingent of Special Task Force (STF) and State Police encircled armed Maoists, who were camping in the region. The Police have also recovered weapons from the site", said IG (Durg Range) R. K. Vij. "The rebels also tried to use local villagers as shields by pushing them to the front during the encounter," he claimed.

October 12

Two Police Constables, Rajesh Prasad and Ritesh Jha, were killed by about 40 to 50 cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Bijapur District. Bijapur Superintendent of Police R.N. Das said they were shot dead just one kilometre from the Pamed Police Station as they were returning from the market after offering prayers to Goddess Durga at a roadside pandal.

Chhattisgarh Government decided to step up the offensive against CPI-Maoist that had slackened since July 2010 as the Security Forces found it difficult to operate in the thick forests that serve as Maoist hideouts.

October 14

Police exchanged fire with the CPI-Maoist cadres during a search operation somewhere between Baghbar and Kakori Bara in Bijapur District. The cross-firing lasted for over an hour but the Maoists managed to escape. The Police recovered backpacks, bombs, detonators and some Maoist literature from the encounter site.

The Police arrested four Maoists, identified as Oyami Chinmaya, Mudium Supari, Phontru and Sukhram during another search operation in the same District. The Police also recovered some arms, ammunition and literature from their hideout.

October 15

Nagesh, a CPI-Maoist cadre, operating in north Bastar area, and his wife Tarabai were killed in an encounter with the Police near Shivpur village in Durg District. Nagesh arrived in Durg to procure cartridges, when a Police team spotted him and his wife. However, another Maoist managed to flee from the spot. Two pistols and INR 49,000 in cash, among other things, were recovered from the duo. Nagesh was involved in the ambush on Security Force personnel on August 29, in which three BSF personnel and two Policemen were killed in Kanker District and also facing several murder, attempt to murder and abduction cases. His wife also faced similar charges.

The Police arrested six Maoists, including a ‘deputy commander’ identified as Kunjami Hunga, during a raid in Phoolpahad forest of Dantewada District after receiving a tip-off about the movement of Maoists. The Maoists were engaged in a meeting. However, some of them managed to escape from the incident site.

Three Government officials taken hostage by the CPI-Maoist cadres from a passenger bus were released in the night after 24 hours of abduction in a forested pocket of Bijapur District. The officials were taken hostage from a passenger bus from the same area while they were on way to Bhopalpatnam in Bijapur District.

October 17

Maoists stormed into a mine that is owned by public sector NMDC in Bailadila hills and assaulted at least four CISF personnel deployed at the site. The four CISF personnel were briefly held hostage by the Maoists before being released, Police said. The Maoists also took away hand grenades of the CISF personnel, added the Police.

October 18

Dozens of armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze vehicles engaged in road construction work on national highway 221 in Dantewada District.

October 19

Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with a joint contingent of the District Force (DF) and SPOs in the forests near Kotapalli village in Bijapur District. One rifle, Maoist literature and some documents, among other things, were recovered from the spot, Police spokesman, Inspector General Rajesh Mishra said.

Maoists fired at a passenger bus at Awapalli while it was on way to Usur from the District headquarter town of Bijapur. There was no injury or casualty among the passengers, who included a few Policemen though the gun shots smashed the window panes of the bus.

October 21

Gulab Singh, a former village head, was killed by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in front of villagers in a ‘jan adalat’ charging him of financial irregularities in Narayanpur District. He was abducted on October 19.

The CPI-Maoists called for a 48-hour bandh across the Dandakaranya region on October 22 and 23 to protest against the formation of the Dandakaranya Shanti Sangarshan Samiti (DKSSS) on October 2, 2010. The CPI-Maoist stated that while businesses in the region were expected to stay shut for the 48-hour period, the bandh would not affect schools or hospitals. While the leaders of the DKSSS describe their organisation as a Gandhian pressure group fighting for peace in the conflict-ridden State of Chhattisgarh, the Maoists has termed it a "fascist avatar of the Salwa Judum" and has called for its immediate dissolution. ‘Dandakaranya' is an archaic geographical term referring to Bastar District, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, and parts of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, and is frequently used to describe the central Indian region currently controlled by the banned CPI-Maoist.

October 22

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed in an encounter with the troopers of the BSF assisted by State Police personnel in Rowghat area in Kanker District. Police recovered some arms and explosives from the encounter site, Kanker Superintendent of Police, Ajay Yadav said.

October 23

Five youths who planned to become SPOs were abducted by cadres of the CPI-Maoist from Awapalli in Bijapur District, 500 kilometres south of Raipur.

October 24

Eight abducted persons continued to be under CPI-Maoist captivity in Bijapur District. The Maoists had abducted five members of a SPO’s family on October 22, from a bus in the District. Maoists abducted five more youths from Awapalli area of the same District on October 23. The Maoists also abducted one person from Usur locality of the same District on October 24, taking the total number of people abducted to 11. However, the Maoists released three persons of the SPO's family late on October 24. Officials at the Police Headquarters say that Police and paramilitary personnel have launched a drive to trace the abducted civilians.

October 25

A group of 30 CPI-Maoist cadres killed a person, identified as Dhansai Kovasi (65), in Karaki village in Kanker District. The Maoists were apparently angry over the victim Kovasi, as his two daughters had joined the Police Force and he had refused to budge under the Maoists pressure asking him to force his daughters to quit the force, Police said. Kovasi's daughters, Uma and Nirmala, had joined the Police Force in 2006 and are posted in Narayanpur and Kanker Districts respectively, SP Ajay Yadav said.

Four Maoists were arrested by a team of the District Force and SPOs from Hallur village under Bhairamgarh area.

October 27

The Chhattisgarh Government has told the Supreme Court that due to administrative exigencies and lack of infrastructure it was housing Security Forces involved in anti-Maoist operations in 31 schools, ashrams (residential schools) and hostels. The Government said it has made alternate arrangements to ensure that the presence of troopers in these premises did not affect the education of children. The State Government said this in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.

October 28

The Chhattisgarh Government asserted in the Supreme Court that the Salwa Judum does not exist in the State and therefore the question of disbanding it does not arise. In its affidavit filed in the court, the State said the petition filed by social activist Professor Nandini Sundar and others had become infructuous as they themselves would unmistakably indicate that the Salwa Judum movement does not exist. Professor Sundar had herself said in her affidavit that Salwa Judum was being revived under a new name Dandakaranya Shanti Sangharsh Samiti (DKSSS), the State pointed out.

October 31

An abducted Special Police Officer (SPO), Irpa Dinesh, was killed by cadres of the CPI-Maoist at Basaguda Busti in Bijapur District. He was abducted by the Maoists on October 22.

Five Maoists were arrested and sharp-edged weapons seized in the same District. Police arrested them after they started to flee after noticing the Police personnel in the forest at Bhatwar and Dhinduri villages. The Maoists were identified as Kunjam Paku, Paklu Parsa, Budru Marsa, Guddi Oyyam and Sudhru Warse. The first three were involved in the killing of an SPO on October 29 while Oyyam and Warse were wanted in the recent murder of a villager.

November 4

CPI-Maoist cadres killed two persons, Gopiram Koreti and Rajendra Koreti, in Khargaon village in Rajnandgaon District. The victims were abducted from their village earlier this week.

Police recovered the body of Bhotraj Sodhi, a member of Janpad Panchayat from Usur village in Bijapur District. He was abducted by Maoists from a local church in the village where he had gone to attend a programme on October 24.

In a rare public protest, residents of Bijapur town and Bhairamgarh areas observed shutdown, staged a blockade and downed shutters of shops in protest against the killing of a Special Police Officer's (SPO) mother, identified as Kalawati, by the CPI-Maoist cadres. The woman abducted a week ago was found murdered at a forested area. Police said the Maoists left a few leaflets at the site where her body was found. The leaflets said that Kalawati was killed as she failed to honour a dictate to persuade her son to give up the SPO's job. The leaflet also accused the woman of acting as a police informer.

Two operatives of the Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT attended a meeting of the CPI-Maoist near Bastar region of Chhattisgarh early 2010, DGP Vishwa Ranjan said. "Two LeT operatives attended a CPI-Maoist central committee meeting as observers, held sometime in April-May this year. They met in a jungle inside Orissa, close to Bastar," said the DGP. "This information is based on a single source, and needs to be cross-checked," he added.

Ramesh, 'commander' of the Keshkal Dalam of the CPI-Maoist sent messages to local media in Kanker District claiming that two security personnel, identified as Khemchand Sahu and Jitendra Patel, are in their custody. Khemchand and Jitendra went missing on November 8.

Chhattisgarh Police arrested three Maoists, including two women cadres, from Tulsi Dongri hillside in Dantewada District. "The arrested Maoists had been actively involved in several attacks in Dantewada and Bijapur Districts of restive Bastar region and Police were looking for them for the past three years," said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) S.R.P. Kalluri. Though the identity of the two women cadres is yet to be ascertained, the third Maoist was identified as Arjun.

The Supreme Court did not approve Chhattisgarh Government's idea to run schools at alternative sites without disturbing para-military personnel stationed in them in Maoist-hit Districts of the State. "We are not going to buy this argument. You have to vacate the schools," a bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar said. The remarks by the bench came during the hearing of petitions against the Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group). The bench fixed the next date of hearing on December 15.

November 21

Nandu Karma, a key leader of the Salwa Judum was killed by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in a forested area of Bhairamgarh locality in Bijapur District. Nandu was the closest ally of former Member of Parliament Mahendra Karma, the key man behind Salwa Judum, which was launched in 2005 and grew under Government patronage.

The security of dozens of Salwa Judum men was stepped up in Dantewada and Bijapur Districts after the killing of Nandu by Maoists, Police said.

November 23

20 cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in a fierce encounter with the CRPF 111 Battalion and State Police personnel near Aasrampura village of Jagargunda area in Dantewada District. A CRPF press release said, "More than 15 Naxals were injured. The bodies of nine Naxals and arms and ammunitions have been recovered. More than 150 Naxals opened fire on a CRPF party, which was conducting the area-domination operation. In the ensuing encounter, around 20 Maoists were killed. No casualty has been reported from the CRPF’s side. The appearance and combat fatigues of the dead Maoists showed that they were well trained." The SFs also recovered nine weapons and explosives from the encounter site and a search operation has been launched in adjoining areas, the officer said.

Two CRPF troopers were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists near Murtanda village in Bijapur District. According to Additional Superintendent of Police BPS Rajbhanu, a bullet-proof vehicle was on its way back from Awapalli after ferrying troopers of Timanpur-based of CRPF (168 battalion) when the Maoists blew up the vehicle by setting off a landmine resulting in the death.

Two Maoists were arrested from Paratpur village in Kanker District. Police seized many guns from them. Both were wanted in connection with murder and attempt to murder cases.

November 25

Four cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested by a team of the BSF and the District Force from a forested belt of Koilibeda in Kanker District. The arrested Maoists were wanted in over nine cases relating to attack on civilians and forces, Police said.

Chhattisgarh Government has begun vacating dozens of schools occupied by SFs who are stationed in Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada Districts for anti-Maoist offensives after the Supreme Court asked them to vacate the schools.

November 26

About 30 cadres of the CPI-Maoist intercepted a truck loaded with coconuts and set it ablaze on a national highway near Sukma in Dantewada District. The truck was on its way to Korea in Chhattisgarh from Andhra Pradesh, Police said.

The CPI-Maoist gave a call for a three-week-long bandh in Bastar region in Chhattisgarh. The bandh is to start from December 2 and people were asked to stock up essential commodities and refrain from travelling outside their villages.

Maoist's posters have surfaced at many remote villages in Dantewada and Bijapur Districts in South Bastar regarding Maoists call for a bandh from December 2 to 21 to observe "PLGA month". PLGA is the military wing of the Maoists.

Six suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist, including a woman, were arrested by a joint team of the BSF and State Police in the forest area near Nivra and Gotia villages in Kanker District. They were identified as Shaniram, Nohru, Tunsingh, Maniram, Ramlal and Sitaibai, SP Ajay Yadav said. Many cases, including those of firing at Police personnel and attempts to murder, have earlier been registered against the accused, Yadav added.

December 21

A group of 10 CPI-Maoist cadres killed a villager, identified as Sudhru Ram (40), on suspicion that he was a Police informer in Gufa para village in Dantewada District. Sudhru worked as a cook in the village school.

December 23

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up three bridges in Kirandul area in Dantewada District. "Two of the bridges were under construction while the third one had been recently constructed. The Maoists placed explosives under the bridges and triggered the blast," an official at Police Headquarters in Raipur said.

Chhattisgarh-based rights activist Binayak Sen was convicted of colluding with CPI-Maoist to fight the State and handed a life term. The Raipur court also awarded life sentences to co-accused Maoist leader Narayan Sanyal (80) and Calcutta-based businessmen Piyush Guha (30) declaring all three guilty of sedition and conspiracy.

December 26

Constable Manveer Shah of the 2nd battalion of the CRPF was killed in an exchange of fire between CRPF troopers and the CPI-Maoist cadres in the forest of Konta area in Dantewada District. 'When a CRPF contingent was on a search drive, a bullet fired from a forest base hit the trooper in the neck,' DGP Vishwaranjan said. Two CRPF troopers received minor injuries.

The CPI-Maoist called for weeklong 'protest' starting January 2 against the sentencing civil rights activist Binayak Sen, Maoist leader Narayan Sanyal and two others for sedition in Raipur. "These judgments are the latest additions to the huge cache of anti-people, fascist repressive measures of the Indian ruling classes," said the outfit in a statement. It said the sentencing was "the most shameless thing for the rulers to do even while boasting that this is the biggest democracy in the world".