West Bengal Timeline 2010

January 1: Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed Bhagbat Singh (52), a local leader of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), in a village in the West Midnapore District, about 15 kilometers from the Orissa border.

Two persons, suspected to be Maoists, were arrested from a village in Birbhum District in connection with recent landmine blasts in neighbouring West Midnapore District.

Maoists denied responsibility for removing clips from railway track near Gidni station in West Bengal early December 30 which might have led to a major train disaster had the sabotage not been detected by alert railway men.

January 1-2: A school teacher, also a CPI-Marxist supporter, was allegedly tricked by an acquaintance who took him inside a forest where a waiting group of armed Maoists shot at him but he managed to escape by feigning dead, Police said on January 2.

January 2: Three CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA cadres were killed at Joynagar near Lalgarh in West Midnapore District after Security Forces opened fire on a PCPA rally.

The Maoists shot dead two CPI-Marxist members at Belapahari after trying them in a 'kangaroo' court on charges of providing information to the Police

At least two suspected Maoists were killed and one was injured in a gun battle with Police in Lalgarh.

Maoists and cadres of the PCPA set ablaze three trucks at Goaltore in the West Midnapore District. 

A PCPA squad of nearly 20 to 25 rode into the centre of the Midnapore town at Tantigeria on 10 motorbikes, fired in the air and set ablaze two tractors and a truck of the Food Corporation of India which carried wheat.

Train services in the Kharagpur-Tatanagar route of South-Eastern railway were disrupted after a landmine hoax created panic in West Midnapore District.

The Maoists have called for a bandh on January 3 in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh to protest alleged Police atrocities and violation of human rights and price rise.

January 2-3: Two brothers were among three persons killed by suspected Maoists in the West Midnapore District. With these cases, the total number of killings in the District has now gone up to 65 since December.

January 3: In continuing arson in the West Medinapur District, the PCPA cadres on set ablaze to three trucks at Amlasole and Bulanpur in protest against alleged attack on 'innocent tribals' by the Police.

The CPI-Maoist cadres who had killed one Bhagbat Singh (52), a local leader of the ruling CPI-M, in a village in the West Midnapore District, about 15 kilometres from the Orissa border on January 1 also ransacked a liquor shop in the area and looted INR two lakh , a senior Police officer said.

Nearly 100 people have been killed by Maoists in Lalgarh-Jhargram area in the last three months of 2009, raising serious concerns in the Home Ministry.

January 3-4: A supporter of the CPI-Marxist was killed by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore District.

January 4: The dead body of a CPI-Marxist supporter Shankar was recovered from Burishol.

Illegal firearms were recovered from a BSNL telephone exchange in Tiljala on the eastern fringe of Kolkata.

The West Bengal Police is set to strike at the Maoists once again.

January 6: Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres raided the forest beat office at Gapiballavpur block (administrative division) in the West Midnapore District and looted cash from the employees.

January 6-7: Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres killed a CPI-Marxist member in the Bankura District.

January 7: A joint operation against Maoists was launched in West Bengal with Police forces of West Bengal and Orissa launching a major ground offensive against the Maoists at Gapiballavpur in West Midnapore District.

The State will have a new centre for raising a Combined Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) force of 1,000 personnel, which will come up in Salboni.

January 7-8: Two persons were killed in Lalgarh in West Midnapore District on January 7 by cadres of the CPI-Maoist. With this, the total number of killings attributed to Maoists in the region in 2010 reached 12.

January 8: Chhatradhar Mahato, convener of the PCPA and 151 inmates at the Midnapore Central Correctional Home began a fast-unto-death on January 8, demanding withdrawal of all cases on charges of their links with the Maoists and those under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The West Bengal Government said the Police and intelligence agencies have got information about Maoist leader Kishan hiding in the State and he is likely to be arrested soon.

January 9: The SFs recovered 120 landmines besides firearms and other weapons in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore District.

January 10: West Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said that CPI-Maoist politburo member leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan, who is operating in Junglemahal; comprising Districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia would be captured soon.

January 10-11: Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres killed a CPI-Marxist leader in the Simlapal area of Bankura District.

January 11: The West Bengal Government will ask for additional Central Para Military Forces (CPMFs) for combating the CPI-Maoist menace in the State, Chief Secretary A.M. Chakraborti said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Bhupinder Singh said, "We need more companies of paramilitary forces to control the situation in these [Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore] Districts. We will ask for 10 companies of CPMFs during tomorrow’s [January 12] meeting.

The State Government has sent one of the three companies of its Armed Police — who received commando training from the Punjab Police at Patiala — to Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore Districts.

January 13: Determined to spoil the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s rally at Jhargram in West Midnapore District on January 15, the leadership of the CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA is not ruling out the possibility of violence during the meeting.

January 14: The West Bengal State CID in a raid in Asansol seized 36 guns with fake licences from a Government office of coalmines.

The CID also said it has unearthed a major arms racket involved in acquiring illegal firearms through private security agencies using forged licences and then selling them off to several militant groups in North Bengaland CPI-Maoist in the Left Wing Extremism-affected Districts of the State.

The CID has also recovered more than 50 licences, which were forged from different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, Bhagalpur and Munger in Bihar, and Kohima in Nagaland.

January 19: The CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA has called for a 12-hour bandh (general shut down) in three Maoist-affected Districts of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore to protest against the alleged killing of two of their supporters by joint-security forces.

January 20: A laptop and a large cache of arms were recovered in a raid on a CPI-Maoist camp in a forest area near Lalgarh in the West Midnapore District. Meanwhile, the SFs are trying to ascertain whether the laptop belonged to Kishan.

January 25: A supporter of the Communist Party of India–Marxist was shot dead by suspected Maoists in the Salboni region of West Midnapore District.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres raided a Police camp at Satnala in the Barikul region of Bankura District, abducting two Policemen and snatching firearms from the camp.

January 27: The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a CPI-Marxist leader Ranjit Hembram in Bankura District on January 27.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead a Trinamool Congress worker near Jhargram in West Midnapore District.

A suspected CPI-Maoist cadre was killed by the Police in an encounter in the hilly terrain of Belpahari in West Midnapore District.

Separately, the Maoists set ablaze Chandabila gram panchayat (village level local self Government institution) office and one Police outpost.

Ajoy Pande, one of the two Indian Reserve Battalion constables, who were suspected to have been abducted by the Maoists during the attack on the Police camp at Shatnala-Majgeria on January 25, returned to Barikul Police Station near the camp on January 27.

January 28: The State Government cleared INR 27 crore for the combat force on January 28, but more is required, officials said.

January 29: Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres killed a CPI-Marxist cadre at Salboni in the West Midnapore District while injuring two others.

State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said only Lalgarh is of concern at the moment. Asked if the Government was worried about the political clashes, he said: "Some problems are there, but over the past few weeks, there haven't been many such incidents. Other than Lalgarh, nothing is of concern," Sen said.

January 31: The decomposed dead body of Maruti Wagare, a trooper of the CRPF missing since January 23 was found from a sack on January 31 near Lalgarh in the West Midnapore District.

10 Police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were injured during an exchange of fire between the SFs and the CPI-Maoist in Purulia District.

February 1: The CPI-Maoist cadres abducted Patul Singh Sardar, a CPI-Marxist worker, from his house at Girighati village and subsequently killed him in the West Midnapore District. Some posters left behind by the Maoists claimed Sardar to be a Police spy, Police said.

Around 2,000 CPI-Maoist and the PCPA cadres with men marching behind women attacked a Police Station triggering an exchange of fire with the Security Force personnel in the Bankura District. Six women were hit in the Police firing. Two died on way to hospital. Six Policemen were also injured from spears and other sharp weapons. Urmila Singh Sardar, a Maoist women's squad leader and wife of Maoist leader Rajaram Sardar, was arrested after she tripped and fell. Three more Maoists were arrested later.

Maoist politburo member leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan sent a four-page 'open letter' to Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, confirming his willingness to conditional talks.

The State officials are preparing a blueprint that stresses the need for hi-tech surveillance to keep track of the Maoists.

February 3: The indefinite shutdown called by the PCPA in three West Bengal Districts against alleged atrocities by the joint Security Forces evoked partial response on the second day.

February 4: The West Bengal Government is raising a new counter-insurgency force to be based in the Salbani-Goaltore area of West Midnapore District in the State.

February 6: A CPI-Marxist supporter Basu Das was shot dead by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres in a Birbhum village.

A pickup truck loaded with paddy was set ablaze by PCPA supporters in West Midnapore.

February 8: Gurucharan Kisku alias Marshal, a prominent deputy of top CPI-Maoist leader Kishen has quit the party with several of his followers, accusing the Maoist outfit of harming tribal interests.

February 9: The CPI-Maoist backed PCPA offered to hold unconditional talks with the Centre as well as the West Bengal Government.

PCPA supporters held black-flag processions in several areas of the three Maoist-affected Districts -West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia - on the day in protest against the meeting between the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and the Chief Ministers.

February 10: The CPI-Maoist cadres opened fired on the helicopter carrying the West Bengal Director General of Police when he was conducting an aerial surveillance of Lalgarh and other Maoist-controlled areas.

February 11: A CPI-Marxist worker, Baren Singh (45), was shot dead by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Belpahari area of West Midnapore District. Maoists raided Baren's house at Gohalbera village at about 7.30 PM, dragged him out and shot him dead.

February 12: Maoist-backed PCPA has offered to discuss peace and development with the Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal. But the PCPA wants to talk to Trinamool Member of Parliament (MP) Kabir Suman only.

February 13: Accusing the CPI-Maoist leader Kishan of failing to address the grievances of the tribals, his long term aide Gurucharan Kisku alias Marshal has formed his own squad. He said Kishan is an "outsider" who did not understand tribal sentiments.

February 15: At least 24 SF personnel, mostly belonging to the Eastern Frontier Rifles, were killed and several others injured when a large group of CPI-Maoist cadres attacked a SF camp at Silda in West Midnapore. The Maoists triggered several blasts before opening fire on the SF personnel. Before leaving, the Maoists looted firearms and set the camp ablaze.

Maoist politburo member Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan claimed that several sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 and SLR rifles, were looted by the Maoists and threatened that they would henceforth act in a similar manner unless the security operations were stopped. He said, "Chidambaram [the Union Home Minister] has been constantly asking us to abjure violence and saying that the Centre is ready to speak, but this will not happen. Once the joint forces stop operation, we will also stop violence within 24 hours." "In the last two months, several persons were killed in various States in the name of 'Operation Green Hunt'. This was a counter-offensive in response to the Centre's offensive," Kishan was quoted as saying by a local news channel.

February 16: The death toll in the CPI-Maoist attack on EFR camp in the hamlet of Silda in West Midnapore District increased to 25. A civilian, identified as Gurupada Hasda, died from a splinter injury in a landmine blast at about two kilometres away from the incident site. As reported earlier, 24 EFR troopers were killed in the incident.

Jagari Baskey, one of the most top members of the CPI-Maoist, led the Maoist attack on Silda EFR camp under the supervision of Koteswar Rao alias Kishan. Though Madan Mahato, who leads a squad in the Belpahari-Banspahari belt and Kundan Pahan, who operates along the Bengal-Jharkhand border, were also present, sources said it was Jagari, who led the charge. According to intelligence sources, two Maoist squads - Dalma and Ayodhya - were used in the attack .The Dalma squad primarily operates in the East Singhbhum region of Jharkhand. Though a tribal squad, most of the leaders and cadres are Bengali. On the other hand, the Ayodhya squad active in the Belpahari region of West Bengal, is a Bengali squad with tribal language speaking locals.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram talking about the attack admitted that there were "indications of failure in some aspects," which only a detailed review would reveal.

February 17: The West Bengal Government admitted a lapse in security and ordered an inquiry into the Police role in the turn of events that led to February 15 Maoist attack at the EFR security camp at Silda in West Midnapore District.

The State decided to wind up and relocate security camps in Jangalmahal that were perceived to be vulnerable. These include camps in Gidhni, Dharampur and Jamtolgora (in remote jungles), Banspahari and Baishnabpur (on the bank of Tarapheni river and Ghagra forest) and 11 others in Belpahari.

February 18: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee conceded the Police forces' lack of alertness. Bhattacharjee also announced that the State would launch an offensive soon.

The State Government decided to raise a battalion of special combat forces to deal with Maoists. The State Government also decided to recruit 1,500 persons of the rank of constable in Kolkata Police to raise another special combat force. Another 3,500 constables would be recruited to strengthen the State Police.

Suspected Maoists went on the rampage at a busy market in Phulkusma town in Bankura District as they looted people, damaged houses, set ablaze shops and decamped with nearly INR 300,000 in cash.

February 20: Susen Mahato, a close confidant of CPI-Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishan, died after he sustained serious injuries during the attack on the EFR camp at Sildah, said Director General of Police (DGP) Bhupinder Singh. According to him, Susen, who managed to escape after suffering serious injury during the encounter on February 15, succumbed to his injuries on February 17. "Three to five Maoist attackers, including Susen, were killed in the encounter as per information available with us," he said.

According to new intelligence input, a 300-400 strong Maoist attack force, fleeing a crackdown in Chhattisgarh, has sneaked into West Bengal and is preparing to launch more brutal attacks than the one in Silda on February 15.

February 21: The CPI-Maoist politbureau member Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan admitted that five Maoists were killed during the attack on the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) camp at Silda in West Midnapur District on February 15. He identified those killed as Sushen Mahato, Ujjal, Vijay, Chandan and Sujit

Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist shot dead two local leaders of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), identified as Karali Mahato and Baneshwar Mahato, in Dulukti village in the Bandwan region of Purulia District. Maoists claimed responsibility for the twin murders, accusing the victims of being Police informers.

February 22: Lalmohan Tudu, the president of CPI-Maoist-backed PCPA and at least two other PCPA cadres who had taken part in the Shilda EFR camp massacre were killed in Lalgarh in the West Midnapore District. However, the dead body of only Lalmohan Tudu was recovered by the Police.

The Police picked up a man from Belpahari in connection with the Silda attack.

February 24: Two bodies were recovered from different spots of the West Midnapore District. "One of the dead bodies, found at Salboni village near Jhargram, is of Tathagata Mahato who was a CPI (M) [Communsit Party of India-Marxist] supporter. It was found in a decomposed state and seems he was killed few days ago. The other body is of Tapan Das, a resident of the Sitanathpur village, and it had bullet injuries. We are investigating both the cases," Verma said.

A Police officer, Rabi Lochan Mitra, and a CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Dule, were killed and two others injured in a gunfight between the SFs and the Maoists at Sarenga in the Bankura District.

The seven-day-long shutdown called by the PCPA in the West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia Districts in protest against the killing of its President Lalmohan Tudu by the Police commenced.

Three persons, identified as Asish Mahato, Manas Mahato and Sukhlal Soren, were arrested in connection with the Maoist attack on EFR camp in Sildha. Asish and Manas had purchased a jeep and a pick-up van on February 5 from Kharagapur in West Midnapore which were used in the attack.

It was revealed that the Vodafone cell phone number 9734695789 of Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishan actually belongs to Sisir Nag, a Police constable. The cell phone was snatched away from him when he was abducted by supporters of People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) on September 27, 2009. However, Union Home Ministry made no calls on this number to contact Kishan.

March 2: Venkateswar Reddy alias Telugu Dipak (40), a top leader of the CPI-Maoist and suspected mastermind behind the February 15 attack on Eastern Frontier Rifles personnel in Silda in West Midnapore District was arrested by the West Bengal Police from Sarshuna on the southern fringes of Kolkata, the State capital.

March 4: Arrested CPI-Maoist leader Venkatesh Reddy alias Telugu Deepak, admitted that he was tasked with setting up a safe corridor between the forested areas of West Bengal's south-western Districts (known as Jangalmahal) and Nandigram and said the Trinamool Congress party had provided Maoists with arms and that they, in turn, gave supporters of the party arms training during the movement in Nandigram.

The West Bengal Government declined to comment on Maoist Politburo member Koteswar Rao alias Kishan's offer to hold talks with the Centre, provided Maoist leader Deepak is released unconditionally.

About 250 kilograms of explosive materials, suspected to be stockpiled by the CPI-Maoist was recovered by Security Forces (SFs) after a gunfight with the Maoists at Shirshi in the Lalgarh region of West Medinipur District. Among the cache was 200 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 50 kilograms of sulphur and a gas cylinder.

March 5: The CPI-Maoist cadres abducted headmaster of Shibram Satpathy School and CPI-M member Ranjit Duley from Sarulia in Bankura District. Police suspect that Ranjit’s abduction has a revenge motive.

March 7: The cadres of CPI-Maoist killed a daily labourer, identified as Shibshankar Das, in West Midnapore District, suspecting him to be a Police informer. The bullet-riddled body of Shibshankar Das was found near Chotokalsibhanga village under the Salboni Police station area. Maoist-backed Sidhu Kanhu Gana Militia, the armed wing of People’s Committee against Police Atrocities, claimed responsibility for the killing.

A Maoist, identified as Gurcharan Hembram, was killed in an encounter when Security Force personnel, who went to rescue a teacher abducted from Bankura District, were fired upon by Maoists at the Bhalukbasa forest near Lalgarh in West Midnapore District. Five Maoists were injured in the encounter.

Four Maoist posters were found pasted on the walls of the Midnapore bus stand in Midnapore town near the residence of the District Superintendent of Police and the District Police headquarters.

A worker of the ruling CPI-M was shot dead by cadres of the CPI-Maoist at Golbandhi in West Midnapore District.

March 8: Police claimed that five Maoists were killed in a series of explosions set off by them to mark International Women’s Day in Gadra village of West Midnapore. The claim of deaths could not be verified as the Security Forces did not go to the village where the blasts were triggered.

March 9: School teacher and CPI-M leader Ranjit Duley, abducted by Maoists from a school in Bankura District on March 4, was released unharmed at a remote place between Goaltore and Pingboni in West Midnapore District.

March 10: West Bengal's DGP Bhupinder Singh said that the "inter-State joint operation," that was being planned for so long, has been on for the last three days.

Six additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force arrived in the State during the day.

The CPI-Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishan threatened that the Maoist cadres could "blow up Writers' Buildings [Secretariat of West Bengal] any day".

March 11: The West Bengal Government is set to press charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against 10 persons arrested for alleged Maoist activities over the last few months. State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said, "Charges under the UAPA are proposed to be pressed against 10 persons arrested for engaging in Left-wing extremist activities."

March 14: Several gelatine sticks weighing about one kilogram were found from a bus in Durgapur town in Burdwan District. A bomb disposal squad came from Kolkata and defused the explosives.