Maharashtra Timeline 2010

Date

Incidents

January 9-10

Two top CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested along with arms and explosives in a joint operation by Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Gadchiroli District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a tribal in the Gadchiroli District.

The Maharashtra ATS said a suspected Naxalite, identified as Surya Devra Prabhakar, was arrested at his residence in Mumbai. He has been remanded to custody.

Around 50 Maoists stopped six trucks on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh highway on the midnight of January 24 by damaging the road. Superintendent of Police S. Jayakumar told over the phone that the Maoists did not attack the drivers.

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist allegedly involved in the killing of 16 Police personnel in Gadchiroli District in 2009, surrendered before State Home Minster R. R. Patil at Gadchiroli.

Maharashtra home department has proposed compulsory two years' services of the Government officials in CPI-Maoist-infested areas, taking serious cognizance of their reluctant attitude to work there. "

The rewards announced to Policemen, including those in the strike force of C-60 commando unit, have not been paid for last four years.

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

The Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai said that Gadchiroli will be free from left wing extremism.

According to the official sources, as many as 319 cadres of the CPI-Maoist have laid down their arms before authorities in the Gadchiroli District since August 29, 2005 as response to the surrender policy of the State.

Anti-Naxal Operation Squad arrested Bandu Meshram alias Bhanu, a member of the Maharashtra 'state committee' of the CPI-Maoist at Gaddigodam in Nagpur.

A suspected CPI-Maoist cadre, Ramkumar Akkapalli alias Masram, was arrested by Chandrapur District Police from Yogi Nagar at Ajni in Nagpur.

State Finance Minister Sunil Tatkare announced a quadruple hike, from just INR 173 million in financial year 2009-10 to INR 700.3 million for 2010-11, in the development allocation for Maoist affected Gadchiroli District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres hijacked a truck which was transporting ammonium nitrate, raw material for manufacturing explosives, between Dhanora and Yerkad village in Gadchiroli District and stole 16 metric tonnes of raw materials worth nearly INR 275,000.

Armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze a rest house of the British era in Kopela area of Sironcha taluka (administrative division) of Gadchiroli District. Property worth INR 200,000 was destroyed in the fire, Police said.

A group of Maoists opened fire twice on a Police party at Laheri weekly market in Bhamragarh taluka and fled from the scene but no one was injured, Police added.

Pocham Buchayya Kulmethe (40), a former cadre of the CPI-Maoist who had surrendered in 2001, was beheaded by the Maoists at village Pusukapalli village in Gadchiroli District.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed during an encounter with joint Security Forces (SFs) of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh in Tipagarh area in northern part of Gadchiroli District. A 12-bore gun, three cartridges and two bags were recovered from the slain Maoist.

A group of about 20 to 25 armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed the former Sarpanch (head of village level local self-Government institution), Malliya Gawde, at Kurupalli village in Sironcha taluka of Gadchiroli District after branding him to a Police informer.

Four Left Wing Extremists (LWEs), including a woman, surrendered at Gadchiroli District on the occasion of the State's 50th Foundation Day., reported DNA. The women belonged to Sironcha and Platoon 19 while the men were from Aheri and Perimili dalam (squad).

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) warned that Naxals (Left Wing Extremists) are planning a major offensive in Gadchiroli District. The report also points out that most national highways despite being metalled have been heavily mined by the Naxals and the bombs can be triggered even after several months depending on the target or opportunity. Contractors have reportedly been coerced into planting the mines on the national highway passing though the areas dominated by the Naxals.

Kumusur Hedo, a 30-year-old tribal, was allegedly killed by a group of five to seven armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Parpalguda village in Etapalli taluka (administrative unit) of Gadchiroli District.

Maharashtra State Home Minister R. R. Patil on May 20 claimed that the Naxal (Left Wing Extremist) movement is being funded by a section of the cash-rich mining industry and suggested that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) should find out details.

Maharashtra State Home Minister R. R. Patil said that the Union Government has sanctioned INR 3.7 billion for roads in Gondia and Gadchiroli Districts, following the State Government request for special assistance for infrastructure in the Naxal (Left Wing Extremism) affected Districts.

Patil also said that the Police recruitment drive in Gadchiroli and Gondia had received a tremendous response, with around 30,000 applying for 8,000 vacancies advertised. Of the candidates, 18,000 were from Gadchiroli.

Two Police constables, Tushar Bandewar and Balaji Bhosale, were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres outside Delanguda village near Jambia Gatta in Gadchiroli District.

The first batch of the specially formed and trained 'Alpha Hawks' anti Naxal (Left Wing Extremists) unit was quietly deployed in Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Bhandara Districts less than a month ago (on an unspecified date). The team of 500 commandos has been trained at the Unconventional Operations Training Centre (UOTC) in Nagpur.

The Gadchiroli District Police raided Botezari village in the morning and arrested four CPI-Maoist cadres. Three of the arrestees were identified as Sadaram Narasimha Gawde, Gajru Dular Boga alias Naresh, Sundersinha Narasimha Helami alias Rakesh. The fourth one was yet to be unidentified. The Police believe the unidentified Maoist, who is ailing, is from neighbouring State of Chhattisgarh.

A group of CPI-Maoist cadres killed two persons, identified as Jorana Gatti Halami (32) and Ramdas Phulgame (33), in Bhamragarh taluka (administrative division) of Gadchiroli District. The deceased, were killed by some sharp weapons, Police said.

In two separate operations, Gadchiroli Police arrested four Naxalites (Left Wing Extremists) including an ex-dalam (squad) commander. Three Naxalites were arrested during a joint combing operation of Gadchiroli Police and CRPF from Gurrekasa forest under Murumgaon armed outpost, while the former commander of Bhamragad dalam was arrested from Allapalli on the basis of a tip-off.

A group of armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist set afire a state transport corporation bus plying between Malewada and Gadchiroli during the bandh (shut down) called by them to protest the killing of Maoist leder Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad in Andhra Pradesh. Before setting the bus ablaze the Maoists asked the bus passengers to get down.

Elsewhere in the District, a 20-year-old Maoist, identified as Monu Deva Miccha, was arrested in Paddur forest area at Bhamragarah after a brief encounter with Security Forces. He was a member of the Bhamragarah 'dalam' (squad) and had worked with Maoist leader Tarrakka, Police said.

A woman cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed in Police firing in Gadchiroli District.

Home Minister R. R. Patil said that there was no impact of the bandh (shut down) called by the Maoists in the State. "Only tehsils like Dhanora in Gadchiroli witnessed some support for the bandh. We had made fool-proof arrangements to tackle it," Patil told PTI.

The Security Forces arrested four cadres of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Chinna Navdi (45), Baju Navdi (45), Somji Kudyeti (35) and Manohar Lekami (25), after brief exchange of fire in Borkuta forest in Etapalli division of Gadchiroli District. The arrested Maoists are residents of Gilanguda village in Etapalli tehsil. Four manually loading rifles were seized from them. Half a dozen used cartridges were also recovered from the spot.

Nagpur appears to be emerging as a new hub for the CPI-Maoists with security agencies suspecting that it is being used for transit, treatment and regrouping. With its proximity to Naxalite [Left Wing Extremists] hotbeds like Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, sources also indicated that Nagpur was being used not just as a transit point but also for medical treatment. As per sources in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), there are credible bits of information available to suggest that Naxalites from Naxal-affected States like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in particular, are increasingly using Nagpur as a transit point.

A peace rally was taken out in Aarmori Township in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra to counter the bandh (shut down) call given by Naxalites [Left Wing Extremism] observing "Martyrs Week". About 800 students from various colleges and schools of the city along with prominent citizens participated in the rally.

CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead a former supporter in Salekasa village in Bhandara District in the afternoon. The victim, identified as Kejulal Amarsingh Markam (45), a resident of village Murkudoha, had been a Maoist supporter, but had distanced himself from the Maoist dalam operating in the area since 2007. He had moved to village Salekasa at that time and started a tea shop to support his family.

Two Naxal -infested Districts in Maharashtra would soon get aid of INR 5.8 billion from the Centre to build infrastructure. "The Centre has in-principally approved aid of INR 5.8 billion for infrastructural facilities in Gadchiroli and Gondia Districts," State Home Minister R.R. Patil said. The funds would be used for building roads, bridges and also irrigations projects, Patil said. The State Government had proposed infrastructure developmental works of INR 18.93 billion in the Naxal-hit areas and the Centre approved the funds for the first phase, the State Home Minister said.

Police sources said that a group of armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist on September 17 abducted and subsequently killed two youths, identified as Vilas Kolhe (22) and Mansaram Parchaki (23), from Pannemara and Kanghadi villages in Gadchiroli District, suspecting them to be Police informers.

October 1

Four Naxalites, including two women, were arrested from Gadchiroli District of Mahaastra. They were remanded to Police custody for six days.

October 2

Cadres of CPI-Maoist dragged Mayabai Dugga (40) out of her house at Saitola village in Dhanora tehsil of Gadchiroli District and slit her throat.

Armed Maoists took Murlidhar Mahadole (50), a Government employee, from Mendhatola village in the same District with them into the near by forest where they slit his throat, suspecting him to be a Police informer.

Acting on a tip-off, the Police arrested about 20 Maoists, including a woman, from Dhanora taluka in Gadchiroli District. The woman Maoist belonged to Militia dalam (squad) and was reportedly involved in Hattigota violence in May 2009 in which 16 security personnel, including five Policewomen, were killed by the Maoists.

A land mine blast triggered by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed CRPF Inspector Nevrutti Yadav (50), two Sub-Inspectors of District Police Shashikant More (31), and Mahendra Kumar Nalkul (35), and two Constables, Anand Gazge of CRPF and Motiram Sangar of the District Police at Perimili in Gadchiroli. The Maoists managed to decamp with their weapons. One Constable is reportedly missing.

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a landmine blast in Talewada jungle in Gadchiroli, leaving eight SF personnel injured. The SFs were part of the rescue team, led by Commander Ramesh Dalai, travelling in an anti-mine vehicle from Pranhita headquarters at Aheri to Perimili, to retrieve the body of one of the slain cops killed on October 4.

Seven persons, including two schoolchildren and three ITBP personnel, were killed in two encounters with the CPI-Maoist in the forests along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. Twelve children were critically wounded in the crossfire. In the morning, a jeep carrying ITBP personnel was blown up by the Maoists in the Sawargaon forest in Gadchiroli killing three personnel instantly. These were the first casualties suffered by the ITBP. The patrolling company of ITBP, which had started from Kohke village in the adjoining Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh, was on its way back after cutting through a dense forest patch. Encounter started after the blast.

A few hours later, as encounter shifted to the outskirts of the Sawargaon village one of the hand grenades hurled - it couldn't be confirmed which side threw it - landed in a school premises. It killed four people on the spot and left 12 others injured. The victims were identified as class I student Sunil Halami (7), class VI student Manglushai Hidko (11), D.G. Gawande, the cook of the school, and Manglarama Madavi, a villager. The gun battle did not last long after this. No Maoist deaths were reported.

October 21

A group of around 30 cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze four vehicles deployed on road construction works at village Jhagadwahi in Korchi tehsil of Gadchiroli District. Reiterating their stand that Security Forces were responsible for the six civilian deaths in the Savargaon blast on October 8, the Maoists have given a fresh bandh call on October 22–23, in the District.

November 20

A CPI-Maoist cadre was killed and a few of his aides injured when a land mine they were planting under a road went off accidentally near Eragatta in Sironcha tehsil in Gadchiroli District. The Maoists were planting the mine under the road connecting Alapalli to Sironcha.

November 23

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a person, identified as Bajirao Chandriya Soyam (55), in Tonder village in Gadchiroli District suspecting him to be a Police informer. The Maoists severed Soyam's head, Police said.

A civilian, identified as Vilas Kombre (30) and a Police Constable, identified as Chanu Fakira Peala (29), were killed by a group of CPI-Maoist in Jarawandi area of Gadchiroli District.

Police seized CPI-Maoist literature issued by the North Gadchiroli-Gondia border committee of the Maharashtra unit of the organisation from a roadside bench in Ganeshpeth area in Nagpur.

December 7

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed their former colleague, identified as Rakesh Chandu Veladi (25) at village Kedmara under Tadgaon sub-Police Station in Bhamragad tehsil of Gadchiroli District. Rakesh, a former Maoist cadre had surrendered before the Government in 2008.

December 11

Chichgarh Police raided a meeting of the CPI-Maoist in Piperkhari village in Deori tehsil of Gondia District. However, around 25 Maoists, including women, managed to escape. From the material recovered on the spot, the Police have registered offences against 17 persons.

The Maharashtra State Government announced a development package of INR 6.54 billion for the Naxal [LWE]-hit Gadchiroli District for its overall development. Replying to a debate in the State Assembly Nagpur on the problems of the tribal District, the State Home Minister RR Patil said that the development package was finalised with the help of Union Government to solve various problems of the District. The State has already received INR 550 million towards two installments of the package. It takes an integrated view of the overall development of the backward District under this INR 6.54 billion package included construction of irrigation dams, roads, national highways, bridges and etc. Of them, INR 300 million were granted for purchasing equipments, like helicopter.

December 21

Four Policemen were killed and seven other injured in a powerful landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Umanoor hill on Alapalli-Sironcha in Gadchiroli District. According to reports, the Policemen were on their way to Sironcha in a Police jeep which was exploded by the Maoists.

A group of Maoists attacked seven forest guards and set ablaze a Tata Sumo and boat belonging to the forest department near Lankachen village in Chhinnavatra forest, 30kilometres from Jimalgatta range in the District.

December 22

CPI-Maoist cadres belonging to the Gadchiroli-Gondia-Deori Dalam pasted posters and circulated pamphlets in Deori municipal council of Gondia District. The Maoists Posters denounced the anti-people activities of the Government to mark the 10th anniversary of its Janmukti Chhapamar Sena (JCS) wing from December 02-31. The Police said that the posters have been pasted to strengthen the Dandakaranya-based Jansatta and Janashakti organisations and were issued by Maharashtra-Gondia commander Dipak/ Sameer/ Milind Teltumde of Wani squad and his comrades.

December 24

A group of CPI-Maoist cadres killed a person from Gatta village in Dhanora tehsil of Gadchiroli District on suspicion of being Police informer. The victim has been identified as Dayaram Madavi (50). Sources said Madavi was sleeping with his family at his residence, when a group of armed Maoists reached the village at around 9 pm [IST]. They reportedly dragged Madavi out of his house and took him with them into jungle. After thrashing him brutally, they shot him dead. His body was recovered in the morning of December 25.

December 25

Five cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from Deori village in Gondia District. The arrestees were identified as Bhimrao alias Bhanu Bhaskar Bhovate (42), his wife Sunanda (36), Gangaram Poreti (32), Chindramani Valade (37) and Sanjay Thauram Banjara (30). While the couple, reportedly state-level members of the Maoists, hails from Amravati District, the others are native of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Poreti is a sarpanch, Police said, adding arms and Maoist literature were also recovered from their possession.

December 26

One Maoist cadre, identified as Shailesh Baburao Wakde (42) was arrested from Babupeth locality in Chandrapur District.

December 27

A group of CPI-Maoist cadres killed a person, identified as Gowardhan Shedmake (32), from Bhimpur village in Dhanora tehsil of Gadchiroli District on suspicion of being a Police informer. Police sources said Shedmake was sleeping with his family in his residence when the group of armed Maoists reached the village, dragged Shedmake out of the house and took him with them into the nearby forest, assaulted him brutally and shot him dead.

December 28

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram visited the District, to review the security scenario and discuss development plans for the area, an official said. "He (Chidambaram) was here to review Security measures taken by the District Police along with the CRPF," Collector Atul Patney said. "He also reviewed development plans that the District authorities will execute after we receive funds under the IAP," he added.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist set ablaze the house of a local NCP leader, identified as Preeti Godshelwar, in Halewara village in Gadchiroli District. A group of around 100 armed Maoists stormed the village, about 350 kilometres from Nagpur, entered the house of Preeti and set it ablaze. Preeti is the chairperson of health committee of Gadchiroli zilla parishad. Both Preeti and her husband Srinivas were not present at the house during the incident, Police said.

A joint team of Gondia and Chandrapur Police raided Mul and Pathri villages in Chandrapur District and arrested two suspected Maoist cadres. The Police are yet to identify them. The Police team also recovered INR 350, 000 and Maoist pamphlets from the duo, Police sources added.

A group of CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze the Gram Panchayat building of Marda village in Chamorshi tehsil of Gadchiroli District. Sources said that the Maoists group reached the village during the midnight hours and set ablaze the Gram Panchayat building in which all the furniture and records were gutted.