Chhattisgarh Timeline 2011

Date

Incidents

January 2

Normal life was badly hit on January 2 in the interior Districts of Chhattisgarh after the CPI-Maoist launched its 'protest week' against the conviction of Rights Activist Binayak Sen.

January 4

Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in an encounter with the Police in Erka forested area in Narayanpur District.

January 6

Seven cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested in Bijapur District. The arrests were made from three different forest bases of Maoists in the District.

January 10

Three female CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested from an interior forested pocket in Bijapur District. "The women were arrested by a patrolling team comprised of District Force (DF) and the SPOs in Potenar area. We believe they were linked to a few attacks," said ASP B.P. Rajbhanu.

The Chhattisgarh Government has decided to add another 2,400 SPOs to be drawn from local youths to combat the Maoists, an official said.

January 11

One SPO was killed in an encounter between the Chhattisgarh Police and the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in a forested pocket of Bijapur District.

January 12

In a joint operation, the State Police and the Paramilitary Forces neutralised a camp of the CPI-Maoist in the Kutru region of Bijapur District.

As many as 379 Maoists lodged in a jail in Dantewada District continued their hunger strike for the second day demanding that they be released as they had been arrested on 'false charges'.

January 14

Chhattisgarh Police began probe into unclaimed cartons of CPI-Maoist literature found at Raipur railway station's parcel go down that reportedly had vital details about key Maoist leaders.

SFs recovered cache of arms and ammunition from a Maoist hideout in Bhanupratappur village in Kanker District. "We got the information that four guns were kept somewhere in the nearby forest covered with wild grass. After getting this information security forces along with the BSF went there immediately and recovered the arms,' Police said.

Two self-styled 'deputy commanders' of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Mukchi Bheemand and Kudiyam Budhram, were killed in a gunfight with a contingent of the District Force and SPOs during a combing operation in Gucchakonta village in Bijapur District.

The Supreme Court said that the anti-Naxal (LWE) operations cannot impede education and ordered paramilitary forces to vacate school buildings and hostels within four months in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-infested Districts. A bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar wanted the State to rehabilitate tribals uprooted from villages by the continued Naxal-Police conflict and who were living a 'prisoned' life in relief camps.

Chhattisgarh Police arrested two CPI-Maoist sympathisers and a chemist shop owner in Mudhuvendi village in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. According to S.R.P Kalluri, SSP, the chemist had been providing drugs and medicinal equipments to the Maoists.

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed a villager, identified as Ramsu in Badhgaon under Kanker District. The body of Ramsu was found on the outskirts of Badejharkatta village with a poster stuck on his clothes accusing him to be a Police informer. The Maoists also threatened villagers with similar consequences if they supported the administration.

January 25

Five Policemen left their camp in Narayanpur District to proceed on leave, but were abducted enroute by a group of CPI-Maoist, Police said. An unidentified civilian too was taken hostage.

January 28

A trooper of the ITBP, Bhoop Singh, was killed in a CPI-Maoist attack in Rajnandgaon District. The Maoists opened fire on a joint party of the District Police, the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and the ITBP near Khunera in the Ambagad Police limits, IG R.K. Vij said. The ITBP personnel retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted over an hour, Vij said. No other casualty was reported.

January 31

The CPI-Maoist cadres released the civilian, identified as Gulchand, who had been abducted along with five Policemen of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF), while they were on their way in a bus to Narayanpur District, in the District on January 25.

February 1

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist sent a list of demands to the authorities in Chhattisgarh to release five Policemen they had abducted on January 25 in Narayanpur District.

The Central Government should meet the massive expenditure incurred on para-military troopers deployed in Chhattisgarh, which is reeling under CPI-Maoist militancy for about three decades, Chief Minister Raman Singh, while addressing the Chief Ministers' conference on Internal Security in New Delhi.

February 2

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist shot dead Nohar Singh, a Salwa Judum leader, in a forested stretch near Toanar village in Bijapur District. Singh was also linked with the State's ruling BJP, D P Rajbhanu, ASP, said.

A Police team arrested eight Maoists from the Bhairamgarh and Modakpala Police area of the District. Rajbhanu added that all the eight Maoists were involved in several attacks in Bijapur.

February 6

The Police discovered schools for teaching CPI-Maoist ideology to the village children between Abujmad, a thickly forested belt in Narayanpur District, and Indravati in Bijapur District.

February 8

After the telephonic conversation between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and social activist Swami Agnivesh, Agnivesh had been contacted by the CPI-Maoist leaders, who expressed their willingness to set free the Policemen on February 11, in the presence of activists only if the security personnel stay away.

Outlining the plans for the release, Agnivesh said he had persuaded Kavita Srivastava of PUCL, retired Justice Rajinder Sachar, writer-activist Gautam Navlakha and two of his colleagues, Manu Singh and Harish Dhawan, to travel with him. "We would arrive in Raipur on the 10^th, and then proceed for Bastar. The transfer of hostages would take place on 11^th, hopefully in the presence of the family members," he said.

February 10

The Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed an application of rights activist and paediatrician Binayak Sen seeking bail and suspension of life term awarded to him. But the court will continue to hear his appeal against the life sentence handed down by a Raipur Additional District and Sessions Court. The court also dismissed a similar application of co-accused Kolkata businessman Pijush Guha. On December 24, 2010, the Raipur court had convicted Binayak Sen, Guha, and alleged CPI-Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal of conspiring to commit sedition and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

A top leader of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Sankhu alias Biju, 'chief' of Dandakaranya area and member of Pipragarh dalam was arrested during a joint operations by a team of ITBP Force and SPOs from Jamree village in Rajnandgaon District. Four kilograms of high-intensity explosives, a gun and some Maoist literature was recovered from him, the sources said.

February 11

After keeping five Policemen for 18 days in captivity in the forests of Bastar, the CPI-Maoist released and handed them over to social activist Swami Agnivesh in the forests of Dhoudai in Narayanpur District. The Policemen were kept away from carrying out search operations as demanded by the Maoists. Swami Agnivesh, along with rights activist Gautam Navlakha, PUCL secretary Kavita Shrivastava, Chennai High Court Lawyer V Suresh, PUDR member Harish Dhawan and Sarvadharma Sansad representative Manu Singh met the Maoists in the forests of Dhoudai in Abujmarh. The Maoists handed over the five Policemen to the activists as promised earlier.

February 12

During a search operation in Kanker District, Chhattisgarh Police arrested two female cadres of the CPI-Maoist, near a forest area. The Police recovered one loaded gun and some explosives from them. The Police are trying to establish the identities of the arrested women, SDO Anil Soni said.

February 14

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed Munnalal Markam, a SPO, in Gondpalli village in Dantewada District. He was posted at Dantewada Police Station and had gone to a relative's house at Gondpalli when the Maoists killed him, Police said.

Four CPI-Maoist cadres, identified as Sonaram Yadav, Dharma Nage, Massa Netam and Tulsiram Netam, residents of Barda village under Badedonger Police Station area, surrendered before the Police at Jagdalpur in Bastar District. The surrendered Maoists have stated that they decided to join main stream of society, SP Sundar Raj P. said.

February 15

The Chief of the Army's central command surveyed Abujmad forests from the air and then landed in Raipur to allay anxieties over a potential conflict escalation in the CPI-Maoist controlled forest in Narayanpur District where the Army plans to train its troops.

He said the training will be restricted to manoeuvres with no firing drills and that it would be gradually scaled up to the brigade level.

February 20

A Police patrol party neutralised a CPI-Maoist camp and arrested two Maoist cadres after an encounter with the Maoists in Bhejji area of Dantewada District. Police recovered two detonators, 500-gm of explosives, a gun, a motorcycle and Maoist literature from the camp, ASP D K Maravi said.

Another Police patrol party exchanged fire with the Maoists in Polampalli area of the District. However, there was no report of causality in the encounter.

February 24

The Chhattisgarh Government told the SC that it would not be possible to shift villagers from relief camps within a definite timeframe due to possible reprisals from the CPI-Maoist which killed 700 tribals in the past five years.

In an affidavit submitted through counsel Atul Jha, the State Government however, said it was taking all steps to gradually shift the villagers back to their villages from the relief camps set up close to Police Stations in the worst Maoist-hit Dantewada and Bijapur Districts.

March 1

Chhattisgarh has spent INR 12.23 billion for creating road network since 2003-04 in the CPI-Maoist-affected areas, a senior Minister told the State Assembly. PWD Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed the House in a written reply to Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey that a little over INR 12.23 billion was spent since 2003-04 for road infrastructure in Maoist-affected areas. He stated that 395 road works had been completed while construction works were underway on another 101 roads. The Minister added that INR 10.63 billion was made available by the State Government while the rest of the amount was provided by the Central Government.

March 4

Three armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested in from Pakhanjoor area in Kanker District. Officials at Police Headquarters said that District Force personnel arrested the three cadres when they were holding a meeting in the forested pocket, while several others, managed to escape. The three cadres wanted in several Maoists attack cases in the District and its neighbouring Narayanpur District are yet to be identified by the Police.

March 8

The Chhattisgarh Government has purchased 3,065 bullet-proof jackets for its Police Force in its fight against the CPI-Maoist cadres, State Home Minister Nankiran Kanwar told the Raipur Assembly. In April 2010, Chhattisgarh saw one of the worst Maoists attacks on its SFs in which 75 troopers were killed. Each jacket, weighing 6.3 kilograms and will cost INR 56,137.50. Kanwar, in his written reply to Congress member Shakrajit Nayak, also said that the Union Home Minister had exempted the jacket purchase from customs and excise duty.

March 10

590 persons, including 298 SF personnel- most of them Paramilitary troopers, have been killed in 667 CPI-Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh since 2009. "A total of 298 Security personnel were martyred while 292 civilians were also killed in the State during January 2009 till January 2011, in a total of 667 Maoist attacks," a source at the Police headquarters in Raipur said on March 9. He said Paramilitary troopers suffered the maximum casualty as 170 of their personnel were killed; the State Police Force lost 86 Policemen while 42 SPOs were also killed by Maoists.

The IAF said it has deployed Garud Special Forces commandos and four choppers for anti-Naxal operations but withdrawn the UAVs operating in CPI-Maoist-affected areas in Chhattisgarh. To protect its choppers from the Maoists attacks, the IAF chief said Garud Commandos have been deployed on these helicopters to retaliate whenever such a situation arises.

March 14

The Police claimed to have killed 30 CPI-Maoist cadres in an encounter in Dantewada District after an ambush by the Maoists killed three Policemen dead and nine others injured. ADG (Naxal operations) Ram Niwas said that a Police team of 145 troopers were on a search operation in the Chintalnaar area, when the Maoists struck. "In the ambush by the Naxals, three of our men were killed and nine were injured," said Ram Niwas. He further said that the Police claim "to have killed 30 Naxals" in retaliatory action. "Police did not collect so far a single dead body of Maoists and it is probable that rebels have carried away the bodies of their colleagues deep inside the jungle," Bastar IG T.J. Longkumer added.

The Maoists also set ablaze 10 vehicles near Pakhanjoor in Kanker District.

March 16

Two CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with the Police in a forested area in Bhairamgarh of Bijapur District. "It was a brief but fierce gun battle between the Maoists and Police. Two rebels were killed. Their bodies have been recovered. Some arms were found at the spot," a source at the Police headquarters said. However, there was no report of any casualty or injury of the Policemen, the Police said.

March 19

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested from the forest area of Bastar District. The Police recovered two loaded guns and some explosives from them. The Maoists were holding a "meeting" in the forest area near village Hitameta and Nardongri when they were noticed by the SFs who were patrolling in the area, the Police said, adding the group started fleeing after sensing the presence of the Police, and were arrested.

March 20

CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead Sampat Vyas (60), a local trader, accusing him of spying on them for the Police in Kodakhori village under Manpur Police Station in Rajnandgaon District. "Three armed Maoists walked into a house of local trader Sampat Vyas, in Kodakhori village, and pumped several bullets into him. He died on the spot," an official at Police Headquarters said. The Maoists left a few leaflets after the killing and claimed the man was a spy for local the Police against Maoists.

Maoists killed Mochi Ram Kureti (57), a villager of Umarpal village in the District, the Police officials said. Kureti was killed by the Maoists in Umarpal village last night, Rajnandgaon ASP, S R Salam said. Pamphlets found from near his body said Kureti was killed as he was seeking people’s support to restart an iron ore mine, the ASP added.

March 21

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed a forest official at Gariaband forested area in Raipur District. "Some 3-4 Maoists reached the house of Madhusudan Patil and despite opposition from his wife took him away and killed him by slitting his throat at a culvert, hardly half a kilometer from his house," SP Lambodar Patel, said. He said Patil tried to run away when Maoists first hit him around the neck but he collapsed and died on the spot.

March 21-22

The Police arrested eight CPI-Maoist cadres in Narayanpur District in the last two days, SP Mayank Srivastava said. They were wanted in criminal cases like murder, attempt to murder, arson, robbery and sedition, he said, adding the Maoists are being interrogated.

March 23

Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed in a joint operation by the Police and Paramilitary Forces Force in the forests between Remadand and Kulanar village in Narayanpur District. Narayanpur SP, Mayank Srivastava, said that about 50 Maoist cadres had assembled near the Kulanar village and the forests surrounding the area. Srivastava said: "Our joint forces of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF) and the District Force (DF) had gone on a forest search operation, during which they anticipated Maoist presence in the area." "They surrounded the area and an exchange of fire took place between the two sides. Later in the search operation we recovered two bodies and a 12 bore gun, a 9 mm pistol and a bomb," he added.

The Police arrested four Maoists in Faras village of the District. They are suspected to be senior Maoist cadres and have several criminal cases registered against them.

March 24

SP Mayank Srivastava said that two CPI-Maoist cadres, including a self- styled ‘commander’, were arrested by the Police from Gotabenur village of the District. Punuram is a Maoist ‘commander’ while the other was identified as Mankuram, Srivastava said.

The CPI-Maoist cadres dragged Kirtan Mandawi, a 50-year-old man from his home and shot him dead near the forest in Koracha village in Rajnandgaon District. The Maoists after killing him left behind a note reporting that he was a Police informer hence they killed him.

March 26

The CPI-Maoist cadres condemning the alleged Police rampage in the villages of Dantewada District has called for a protest (virodh diwas) in Bastar region for five days. Maoist leader and spokesperson of East Bastar Special Area Committee, Niti, in her statement released to the journalists in Bastar said that from April 11 - 15 the Maoists will observe ‘virodh diwas’ followed by total shut down for two days from April 16. "The functioning of health centres, schools and colleges are exempted from this bandh. And we warn the police not to commit such cruel and disruptive acts in future otherwise they will have to pay heavy price", she said.

March 29

Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar admitted that 327 troopers of the Chhattisgarh Police and CRPF conducted a five day area domination exercise from March 11 to March 16 and raided the villages of Morpalli, Timapuram and Tarmetla; but claimed that, in each instance, the SFs were ambushed by the CPI-Maoist cadres who set ablaze the villages and escaped in the ensuing confusion. According to Mr. Kanwar’s statement, the SFs raided Morpalli village on March 11, when they were attacked by the Maoists. The Maoists then allegedly set ablaze to a number of homes and escaped. Citing the testimony of one Madavi Ganga of Morpalli village in this regard, Mr. Kanwar said a case had been registered in the Chintalnaar Police Station.

April 6

The Chhattisgarh Government opposed the petition of rights activist Binayak Sen in the apex court seeking bail and stay on his life term for his reported links with the Naxals (LWE). While responding to a March 11 notice on the petition by Binayak Sen challenging the rejection of his bail by the High Court on February 10, the State Government said Sen was involved in providing safe hideouts and logistic support to top cadres of the CPI-Maoist.

The Chhattisgarh Police arrested a tailor, identified as Puranchand Meher, for reportedly supplying uniforms to the Maoists from Indagaon area in Raipur District along Odisha border. The Police recovered 20 trousers, five full-sleeved shirts and 35 metres of olive green tericot cloth from his shop. "These were Maoist uniforms, each a different size," Gariaband, SP, Kamal Lochan Kashyap, said.

April 7

Eight cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested by the Police from Anjarel and Palaksa villages in Narayanpur District. Out of the eight Maoists, six cadres were carrying a reward of INR 5,000 on their heads, SP Mayank Srivastava said. On a tip off, a Police party carried out combing operation and arrested the cadres who had been absconding for long time and the Police recovered three loaded guns, ammunition and detonators from them.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has described Naxals as the "biggest threat" to democracy and vowed to pursue its current policies to eliminate the Maoist menace. Naxalism and terrorism are the "biggest threat" to the country and its democracy. If democracy is to be kept alive, the Naxal violence has to be eliminated, he said at a function in Raipur District. The State will remain firm on its policies while tackling the Naxal violence, Singh said, adding the people of Chhattisgarh are with the Government in this fight.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at the College of Defence Management (CDM) in Hyderabad, the Chhattisgarh Governor, Shekhar Dutt, said the Naxalites (LWE) are obstructing development in the areas where they have a strong presence in Chhattisgarh, but the Government is trying to sow the seeds of growth to root out the menace. "These people have closed a particular area from all kinds of development because it is their interest to see that no development takes place," he said. "I think we have to gradually move in and the seeds of development must go into these places. Therefore, it is not something which can be done immediately. Immediately, it can be done. That is by force. But we are not using that kind of force," he said. To a query, the Chhattisgarh Governor said the anti-Naxal operation is not like a traditional war in which the SFs will have quick success. "This is not that kind of a thing. It is regarding a number of people, the villagers are not allowed to do their own business. Own business does not mean just living in the forest areas. They must improve along with time. New technologies and communication must come. For communication, you need towers. If they destroy the (cell phone) towers, are they pro-people or against people?" he asked. Dutt, in his valedictory address to the CDM students, said the concept of security should not be confined to the application of force by the State.

Dutt defended the necessity of the Koya commandos in Chhattisgarh to resist Naxals. Dutt said that the tribals in Chhattisgarh had to survive among the Naxals who were brutally attacking them. He said that many locals had been killed as the Naxals had suspected them to be police informants and added that the locals thus needed to defend themselves. When asked about the Supreme Court's concern over the Chhattisgarh Government's Koya commandos, the Governor refused to comment. The apex court on April 6 had expressed concern over the creation of Koya commandos and giving them arms to deal with Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). The court has sought a response from the Chhattisgarh Government by April 15 following an affidavit filed by Swami Agnivesh.

The Chhattisgarh Government has told the Supreme Court that PUCL leader and pediatrician Binayak Sen should not be granted bail as he had arranged for safe hideouts to top leaders of the CPI-Maoist and helped them get employment under concealed identity. Ahead of the April 15 hearing on Sen's bail plea by a Bench of Justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad, the State through standing counsel Atul Jha submitted an additional affidavit before the court terming the activities of Sen and his wife Elina as "anti-national" as they helped the cadres of the CPI-Maoists, which had been declared a terrorist organisation and banned by the Centre and the State Governments.

The State Government said that for the top Maoist leaders, he arranged safe hideouts by arranging houses on rent, helped them open bank accounts and in getting employment under concealed identity and provided employment by incorporating trusts. It said the Andhra Pradesh Police announced a cash award of INR 1.2 million for the arrest of top Maoist leader and politburo member Narayan Sanyal on March 25, 2006, but Sen maintained strong links with him. When Sanyal was arrested and lodged in jail, Sen met him on the false pretext of treating him. "Sen met Narayan Sanyal 33 times within a short span of 11 months (from June 5, 2006 to April 30, 2007) by falsely representing him as a brother and relative of co-accused Sanyal.

The purpose of meeting entered in the (jail) register was 'domestic reason'," it said. The Raman Singh Government also said that Sen's wife Elina had also helped top Maoist Shankar Singh and Amita Srivastava in opening bank accounts. "The petitioner also arranged job for absconding top Maoist Amita Srivastava in a local school. To camouflage the identity of top Maoists, Sen and his wife Elina Sen showed top Maoists as employees of their alleged charitable organisation `Rupanter'," the State Government said. It said that being a PUCL member did not justify harbouring top Maoists and arranging safe hideouts for them. "As a concerned citizen of this country, the petitioner ought to have informed the Police about the whereabouts of hardcore Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists]."

Around 100 to 150 Maoist cadres set ablaze a JCB machine, two generators, two mixture machines, two tractors, one operating machine, along with more than half a dozen other machinery parts and motor spare parts of a road construction firm and assaulted the labourers employed in Dolangi Village in Ramchandrapur in Surguja District. The Maoists had demanded INR five million as levy and along with other demands. The cadres set ablaze instruments approximately to the worth of INR 15 million.

Two villagers, including a former sarpanch were killed CPI-Maoist cadres near a weekly market under Miratpur Police Station limits in Bijapur District. About more than a dozen Maoist cadres opened fire in which a villager, identified as Chugadu and a former sarpanch Chandru (45), were killed on the spot. Miratpur sarpanch Malti Kashyap said the Security Force was present and a brief encounter with the Maoists took place which forced the cadres to flee.

A CPI-Maoist cadre was killed during a gun-battle with the Police in Chinnari forest area of Narayanpur District. SDO, Dev Narayan Patel said that the Maoists were gathered to conduct a meeting ahead of elections in the area in order to motivate the youth to join their ranks. The Police also recovered a rifle, six cartridges, a Tiffin-bomb, Maoists literature, wires, three detonators, other explosives and grocery items from their hideout.

The Chhattisgarh Government is planning to use UAVs of the IAF to conduct reconnaissance of Naxal (LWE)-hit areas even as SFs are mulling entering the CPI-Maoist stronghold of Abujhmad.

Two landmines planted by the CPI-Maoist cadres were recovered from forested locations in restive Bastar region.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres fired at a Salwa Judum local leader identified as P. Vijay Kumar, injuring him critically at Kunta in Dantewada District.

Citing security reasons, the EC relocated 200 polling booths for the May 8 by-election in Bastar parliamentary constituency.

Three Maoist cadres were arrested in a raid on their forest hideout in Bhanupratappur area in Kanker District. An officer at the Police Headquarters in Raipur said that the arrested Maoists were wanted for two years in cases involving attacks on Police and civilians and damaging Government property.

The SFs recovered huge quantities of weapons and ammunition during a raid in the forests of CPI-Maoist-affected Churia region close to the inter-state border of Maharashtra in Rajnandgaon District.

The Army is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to conduct training in jungle warfare to a brigade size Force in Chhattisgarh. The land for setting up the training area, also called the "manoeuvre range," has been identified at Narayanpur District in Chhattisgarh and approval is awaited, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command Lt. Gen. V.K. Ahluwalia said, at a press conference at the Command's headquarters. Lt. Gen. Ahluwalia said the objective of setting up the training range was "only to impart training and not anti-Naxal LWE operations."

The area under the Central Command, which encompasses Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, were affected LWE, but presently the Army was not mandated to operate against such elements. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were the other two States in the Command. The Army's role in this context was advisory and providing assistance in capacity building to the Union government. Though the Army was not involved in anti-Naxal operations, it had imparted training to about 50,000 Police and Paramilitary Force personnel in such operations.

One trooper, identified as Ishwar Lal, deployed on election duty was killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres at Khutepal near Bhusaras in Dantewada District. The Maoists also triggered landmine blasts at three separate places in South Bastar and tried to blow up vehicles to terrorise polling parties. Incidents of random firing were reported at several places in Narayanpur and Bijapur Districts, Police sources said.

The Maoists, who had given a call to boycott elections, blew up a 33 KVA transformer, disrupting power supply to Kuakonda, Sukma, Konta and Chintagarh Development blocks in the District.

A special conference of the Maoists, active in the tribal areas in Kerala, was held at an unspecified location in Chhattisgarh from April 20 to 25. Sources said senior leaders of the outfit, including its 'general secretary' Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, spoke in the conference. Sources said around 20 underground Maoists, including its former 'state secretary' Roopesh alias Praveen alias Mohan, attended the conference. Roopesh, against whom there is a case of harbouring Maoist leader Malla Raji Reddy, has been given some assignments in the Dandakaranya region. He and his wife Shyna have been absconding ever since the Police launched a hunt after the arrest of Reddy in Ankamali in 2007.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a Police vehicle in Bastar District. "A powerful blast ripped through the Tata-407 vehicle.

A 25-kilogram landmine laid under a key road by the Maoists in Bastar region was detected and defused by the Police. "A squad of the District force and the Paramilitary troopers spotted a landmine in Kanker District. The 25-kilogram landmine was laid to target the Police party,' Kanker SP Ajay Yadav said.

Five CRPF troopers, belonging to the 2nd battalion, were killed and two others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Borguda village on National Highway 221, six kilometres away from Sukma town in Dantewada District. The CRPF convoy of three vehicles was returning from Kerlapal to the camp at Sukma when they were hit by landmine blast around 9:00 pm, killing five CRPF troopers and injuring two others, IG, Bastar, T. J. Langkumer, said.

In the District, several vehicles being used for road construction were set ablaze by the Maoists in Peedhapal. The vehicles that were set ablaze included two tractors, a roller, three water tanks and diesel pumps. Maoists also pasted posters near the vehicles calling for Bharat bandh on May 21-22. The posters criticised the recent arrest of three central committee members in Bihar. In an unsigned statement sent to a few media outlets in Chhattisgarh, the outfit said it would enforce the shutdown in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, besides Chhattisgarh, in protest against arrest of its three senior leaders in Bihar.

A SPO was shot dead reportedly by a group of CPI-Maoist cadres in the Dantewada District. About a dozen Maoist cadres cornered SPO Koasalal Markam at a weekly market at Chintagarh village and shot him dead, Dantewada SP Ankit Garg said.

Two CRPF troopers who were injured in the landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres near Borguda village in the District on May 17, succumbed to the injuries.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist shot dead a constable, Pawan Mandavi, and abducted a SPO, Ramaiyya, in a raid on a Salwa Judum camp in Cherpal village in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. A Maoist was also killed in retaliatory fire by the security personnel present there. The constable and SPO had gone to the camp to attend the wedding of a relative. Some weapons were recovered from the deceased Maoist.

Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed a civilian, Kawasi Dev, mistaking him to be a Police officer in Dantewada District, the first day of the two day bandh called by the CPI-Maoist.

The body of Ramaiya, an SPO who was abducted by Maoists from Cherpal village in Bijapur District on May 18, was found thrown on the road.

Maoists set on fire a mixture machine and a truck in Balud village in Dantewada District.

Police and para-military forces recovered two 50-kilogramme landmines buried in a forested road at Ponjer Nala in Bijapur District.

Normal life was affected in the State due to the bandh. "The only passenger train that runs in Dantewada District has been suspended for the time being, even though goods trains are running as usual. In order to disrupt the rail traffic, Naxals also ruptured the rail tracks at some points, which were detected and restored," said Ankit Garg, the SP of Dantewada District. Police officials said that while traffic movement in urban parts of Dantewada District was smooth, disturbances have been reported from interior areas.

In Bastar, markets remained closed and at some places, Maoists felled trees on the roads, said the Police.

A Maoist, identified as Ravi alias Ganeshu, who was a 'commander' and member of the Rajnandgaon District's Area Committee surrendered to the Police.

Chhattisgarh Planning Commission has allotted INR one billion for the Integrated Action Plan of Maoist-affected areas. The plan covers Bastar, Bijapur, South Bastar (Dantewada), Jashpur, North Bastar (Kanker), Kabir Dham, Korea, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon and Sarguja areas in the State. Under the plan, 18,969 projects have been approved of. Out of these, 2,109 projects have been completed, 16,659 are in progress while 18,768 projects have been implemented.

The Supreme Court sought the Chhattisgarh Government's response within a week to the bail plea of Kolkata-based businessman Piyush Guha, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment along with civil rights activist Binayak Sen in a sedition case.

Chhattisgarh Police said the lone Policeman, who had been missing since the CPI-Maoist ambush in Sunabeda forest in Nuapada District on May 23 was apparently safe, and he had contacted his family. Top officials said that as per the primary investigation, 'Military' unit of Maoists, which operates in Mainpur area of the State, as well as in the neighbouring Odisha, was involved in the ambush.

Chhattisgarh and Odisha Police decided to join hands against the growth of CPI-Maoist in the area bordering the two States. State Police plan to organise a meet with Odisha Police to discuss the course of action and mechanism to tackle the Maoists in the region. Police administration plans to concentrate on Amamora and Chipri plateau regions.

The CPI-Maoist-hit areas in the State will soon have ITI and Skills Development Centres. Chief Minister Raman Singh had demanded the seven ITIs. The Central Government has now approved of the institutions in the State. At least INR 309.8 million will be spent on the project of building these centres across the State.

Shiba Sahu alias Urmila, a CPI-Maoist woman cadre of 'deputy commander' rank surrendered before the Police in Rajnandgaon District. Urmila joined the outfit in 2005 and was a language trainer and paramedical expert. Urmila was presently working with the Korchi dalam. Chhattisgarh Police had arrested her husband Subhas alias Ayatu, arrested in 2007, too was a 'deputy commander'. She was serving in North Gadchiroli region before surrendering.

A week after nine Chhattisgarh Policemen were killed in a CPI-Maoist ambush in Sunabeda forest, just 14 kilometres away from Chhattisgarh border in Nuapada District of Odisha, the sole missing Policeman of the 10-member team, Holaram Sahu, surfaced safe and alive, near Dhavalpur village in Chhattisgarh, about 35 kilometres from the ambush site.

Holaram Sahu, the Policeman who went missing after CPI-Maoist ambush in Sunabeda forest in Odisha and surfaced safe and alive on May 30, was held captive and tortured by the Maoists for nearly three days before managing to escape, Police said.

The Supreme Court granted bail to alleged Maoist sympathiser Piyush Guha wondering whether a call for a revolution to reform society could be treated as an offence. "A large number of material and news come to us. Similarly, such material comes to you and this person also. If that is his ideology and he says revolution is the only way to reform society, can we say that is an offence?" a vacation bench of justices G S Singhvi and C K Prasad said.

The Army has entered into the CPI-Maoist-infested region of Chhattisgarh. This entry, however, is not intended at any combat but for training commandos in the jungle warfare. Around 500 troopers and officials of the Indian Army, reached Raipur from the central command headquarters of Lucknow. They later moved in separate teams to Bastar where the Army is setting up a special training centre in Abujhmad. The Chhattisgarh government has provided 750 square kilometres of land in Abujhmad in Narayanpur District for the camp.

Five to six CPI-Maoist cadres fired in a weekly marketplace in Tongpal village in Dantewada District, killing Constable Budharuram Poyam of Tongpal Police Station and severely injuring constable Rakesh Bhaskar.

Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were reportedly killed in a gun battle with Police in a forest area in near Narayanpur. Police said they also seized two 9mm pistols, .315 bore locally made pistol, explosives and Maoist literature after the gun battle.

A 'deputy commander' of Bhopalpatnam Guerrilla Squad of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Ramesh, was killed in an encounter with the Police at Dampaya village in Bijapur District, Police said. Inspector General of Police of Bijapur B. P. S. Rajbhanu said the gun battle ensued when Policemen of Madded Police Station who were going around in the forest area were fired upon by the Maoists. The exchange of fire went on for over an hour before other Maoists escaped. Police also recovered a rifle and 25 live cartridges from the encounter site.

Despite decline in CPI-Maoist related violence in many areas of the country, situation in some parts of Chhattisgarh remained unchanged, CRPF DG K Vijay Kumar said. "Some parts of Chhattisgarh, particularly its southern region, need attention," Vijay Kumar told reporters after meeting Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Stating that the Districts like Bastar, Dantewada and some other adjoining areas witness violence, the CRPF DG said, "things are much better than in the previous years." "We are taking steps on how to improve situation in these areas," he added. Replying to a question, the CRPF DG said "deployment of force was being made keeping in view the situation and it is dynamic." On the recent spate of surrenders by top Maoists in Odisha and some other parts of the country, the CRPF DG said, "It is a good sign. We do not believe only in killing. Surrenders and arrests are also important," he said. Stating that surrender indicated some change in the mindset of the other side (Maoists), he said this also proved maturity of the administration.

The CPI-Maoist cadres opened indiscriminate fire near the camp of Chhattisgarh Armed Force in Narayanpur District, killing four troopers and leaving another injured. Some troopers of the force were involved in their regular chores near the camp of the 16th battalion of the Force in Bharaghati village when the Maoists started firing at them killing four troopers and leaving another injured, Ram Niwas, ADG anti-Maoist operations said. The Maoists also decamped with two weapons of the troopers, the senior officer said.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up an anti-landmine vehicle, killing 10 SF personnel - seven SPOs and three police constables - and injuring three others at bridge near Gatan village in Katekalyan area in Dantewada District. The anti-landmine vehicle of the SFs was approaching a bridge near Gatan village near Katekalyan when the Maoists triggered a powerful blast and opened indiscriminate fire on the personnel who came out of the badly damaged vehicle, Police said.

The Chhattisgarh Armed Force trooper who was injured in the June 9 Maoist attack in Narayanpur District succumbed to his injuries taking the death toll to five.

Three CRPF personnel were killed when a group of 250 cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked the CRPF camp at Bhejji village in Dantewada District. ADGP Ram Niwas claimed 10 Maoists were killed in the encounter, but their bodies were taken away by the Maoists.

The CPI-Maoist claimed responsibility for the recent attacks at Narayanpur and Dantewada Districts in which 18 Police personnel were killed, and threatened to continue similar attacks if the Government does not stop 'brutal repression' of common people. The statement was issued by the CPI-Maoist Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.

A gunbattle broke out at Bhejji Police Station in Dantewada District when CPI-Maoist cadres opened fire at the Police Station and the Policemen retaliated. However, no casualty was reported, Police said.

A man, identified as Abul Qayyum Khan (41) was arrested and about 80 kg ammonium nitrate and 229 detonator sticks were seized from him in Mahasamund District of Chhattisgarh, Police said. Officials at Police headquarters here said they were probing if the seized explosives were meant for the Maoists.

The Police in Chhattisgarh recovered a 25 kilograms bomb planted by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist under a culvert in a forested area, some 200 km south of Raipur in Kanker District, to target a Police convoy scheduled to pass over it later in the day. Officials at Police Headquarters here said that a Police search squad detected the bomb and defused it immediately.

IB reports have claimed that Maoists in the region are planning to attack the Army officials training in the forests near Abujhmad.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Army units near the CPI-Maoist areas of Chhattisgarh would only be in training and not deployed for operations. "It (Chhattisgarh) is not enemy territory," he said, when asked what role was envisaged for the army that this month sent two units near a suspected Maoist base in Abujhmad area. "The army is training in many States… because they want to have a feel of all kinds of terrain - deserts, mountains and plains. They are now establishing a new training unit there," he said.

The Centre will send an additional 5,000 central paramilitary personnel to Odisha and Chhattisgarh in the next couple of weeks to carry out joint operations, specifically along the inter-State borders. The two States expressed the need to step up joint operations in a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and attended by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh in New Delhi. The central forces will conduct operations jointly with Police of these States. Chhattisgarh has over 12,600 paramilitary personnel compared to over 7,200 personnel in Odisha. These personnel are drawn from CRPF, BSF and ITBP.

After the meeting, Chidambaram said, "We have made very clear that no operation will be conducted without the complements of State Police. Earlier practice has been completely discontinued since a year-and-a-half. Now, all operations are conducted by the paramilitary forces with the complements of state police. All operations are now joint operations." Raman Singh too agreed. Addressing a joint press conference with Chidambaram and Patnaik, he said, "Central forces cannot do it alone. State Police has to be there. It is not right to say that the casualties are only from paramilitary forces. Whoever comes under fire, they face the casualty. So, joint operation has to be there." Asked about the activities of Naxals along the inter-state borders, Singh said Chhattisgarh had 4,000 kilometres borders with Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and it was practically impossible to check the movement of Maoists in these areas. "We can't stop them fully. Movement keeps going on. We have decided to augment our strength and operations will be intensified," he said.

Chidambaram earlier said violence and the number of casualties had been reduced considerably in areas falling under 270 Police Stations in 64 Districts in eight States. "Up to June 14, there have been 811 incidents (1,025 last year) resulting in 270 deaths (473 last year). Of the 270 persons who were killed, 190 were civilians (296 last year) and 80 personnel of the security forces (177 last year)," he said. He said CPI-Maoist and other left-wing extremist groups continued to target civilians and kill them after branding them as 'Police informers' and of the 190 civilians killed this year, 72 were branded as Police informers. Chidambaram said these extremist groups also continued to target infrastructure and businesses and this year there were 13 attacks on railway property, 18 telephone exchanges and towers were attacked, four panchayat bhavans and 12 school buildings were destroyed and 82 roads and culverts were also damaged. Statistics, released by the Home Ministry, showed there were 125 encounters between Security Forces and extremists and 78 extremists were killed. Besides, 883 extremists were arrested, 243 surrendered and 315 arms were recovered this year.

Some 30 cadres of the CPI-Maoist raided Chhotebedma village under Kuakonda Police Station in Dantewada District and shot at Mudararam Sodhi (65), a worker of CPI and the elder brother of former MLA Nandram Sodhi, alleging him to be a Police informer.

Maoists triggered a landmine blast between Palnar and Kuakonda seriously injuring two troopers of CRPF's 111th battalion, when CRPF and Police personnel were returning after an investigation on receiving information about the raid incident in Chhotebedma village.

The CPI-Maoist cadres abducted 100 tribals from Duppatota village under Dornapal Police limits in Dantewada District. Over 150 rifle-carrying Maoists marched villagers into the forest after threatening their family members against following. The Andhra Pradesh Police has intensified their combing operations on the Andhra-Chhattisgarh border.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in a 90-minute gunbattle between the search squad of the State Police and 40 Maoist cadres in the forest region of Sitapur area in Bijapur District. The Police said the gun battle began when the search squad of CAF, SPOs, and District Force was attacked by armed Maoists. The troopers returned fire and two Maoists were killed. The bodies have also been recovered, Police officials added. The Police have recovered some explosives, an AK-47 and Maoist literature from the site. Bijapur SP Rajendra Narayan Das said the Police suspected those killed to be from Andhra Pradesh. One of the two CPI-Maoist leaders has been identified as Sridhar alias Santosh. The 40-year-old 'commander' had been working for Maoist Dalams for more than 20 years in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. He was earlier spotted on motorcycle along with pistol in the region.

A report said Maoists abducted three villagers identified as Poonam Doga (55), Hemla Gudia (50) and Semal Laxman (40) from Nayapara Relief Camp near the Raipur District Headquarters. They also said the villagers did not report the incident to Police and are searching on their own. "The report about civilian's kidnapping [abduction] has not been confirmed. I am trying to ascertain the news with local Police," the official at the Police Headquarters said.

The Chhattisgarh Government will set up an armed battalion of women to deal with the law and order situation on the field and deploy it in the Naxal-infested areas if needed. "Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has given in-principle nod for formation of the women battalion. The battalion will, however, not be used in anti-Naxal combat operations," said N. K. Aswal, Chief Secretary of Home Department in Raipur.

Villagers in Senguda village in Lorami area of Bilaspur District surrounded two CPI-Maoist cadres and handed them over to Police on June 24. The Maoists were in uniform and had gone to the village for the collection of levy.

The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a Police vehicle with a landmine and ambushed BSF personnel, killing five SF troopers in two separate attacks in Dantewada and Kanker Districts. The Maoists blew up an SUV near Kirandul in Dantewada District, 6 kilometres from Raipur, killing three Policemen and injuring three others, said Ramnivas, the ADG (Naxalite operations). One Policeman is missing.

A patrolling team of the BSF and the Police was ambushed by around 150 Maoists, Kanker SP, Rahul Bhagat, said, adding that two BSF troopers were killed on the spot in Kanker District. One Maoist was killed in retaliatory firing, Bhagat added.

Chhattisgarh ADGP (Naxal Operation) Ramniwas said that the number of victims in the landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist on June 26, in which a Police vehicle was blown up at Kirandul and Palnar in Dantewada District, has gone up to four. In addition to the fatalities, four persons, including three policemen, are undergoing medical treatment at a hospital presently, they said.

At least seven live bombs were found by a joint search team of the BSF and the Chhattisgarh Police in Kanker District.

Rejecting President Pratibha Patil's call for peace talks, Maoists announced a 'protest week' from July 4 in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra and on the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), demanding immediate scrapping of the Army training school being set up in the foothills of Abujmarh in Bastar. In two separate statements issued on June 26, CPI-Maoist central committee spokesman Abhay said the President's call to Maoists to come forward for peace talks came at a time when a battalion-strong Army have already been sent in with the intention to involve them in the so-called operation green hunt. Such a proposal for talks comes when Governments and corporates have entered into MOUs to exploit vast mineral wealth in the region and security forces are unleashing terror and committing atrocities on the poor in tribal areas," he alleged, adding that Maoist leader Azad ? who had initiated a process for peace talks with the Government ? was killed in a fake encounter. Maoists appealed to the people to impress upon the President to call off ongoing operations and withdraw the paramilitary forces from the tribal areas. They also want the Army training centre scrapped, as well as all MOUs and the land acquisition process. "If the governments accept these demands, Maoists will stop the counter violence," the Maoist spokesman said.

A team of Raipur Police and STF demolished a temporary camp of the CPI-Maoist near Raigarh District. No Maoist could be arrested but a huge quantity of food supply, bombs, explosives and Maoist literature were seized from the camp. Police said around 30 to 40 Maoists had stayed in the region for 3-4 weeks.

People in Naxal-affected Bastar Region are happy over arrival of Army personnel for training, said Lieutenant General V. K. Ahluwalia, General Officer Commanding (Central Command). The Army will soon start welfare activities for the local residents. They will, among other things, undertake cleaning of lakes and help in education of children, he said. To a question, Ahluwalia said it has already been clarified that Army has entered into the Maoist territory only for "jungle warfare training and not for anti-Naxal operation". An Army contingent arrived in Bastar a few weeks ago for jungle warfare training.

A cadre of the CPI-Maoist was killed and another was arrested after Maoists ambushed a joint team of SFs near Puhimal village under Mainpur station limits in Gariaband Police District, a senior Police officer said. The Police recovered the body of the slain Maoist, who is yet to be identified, and four rifles from the encounter site.

CPI-Maoist cadres damaged the entire 23-kilometres stretch of landmine resistant road from Bijapur to Gangalur in south Bastar, nearly a year-and-half after it was opened to public. The road, considered a vital link in the proposed Maoist corridor between Andhra Pradesh to south Bastar through Bijapur District, has been re-laid by making it landmine blast resistant after security personnel secured the route from the Maoists nearly three-years-ago. The newly-built road was opened to public in January 2010. "The entire stretch of road was damaged by the rebels, who dug out the road at every 100 metre. As result of this, the movement of security forces in the area would severely be hit," Bijapur District SP, R.N. Das, said.

A 'protest week' called by the CPI-Maoist, beginning on July 4 in the State hit normal life in many Districts. No violence was reported from anywhere in the State till late in the day, but it had massive impact on normal life in at least 10 of the State's 18 Districts.

The Supreme Court declared illegal and unconstitutional the deployment of tribal youth as SPOs- either as 'Koya Commandos', Salwa Judum or any other force - in the fight against the Maoist insurgency, and ordered their immediate disarming.

The court also directed the Centre and the State to provide appropriate security forthwith, and undertake such measures "as are necessary and within bounds of constitutional permissibility, to protect the lives of those who had been employed as SPOs previously, or who had been given any initial orders of selection or appointment, from any and all forces, including but not limited to Maoists/Naxalites."

Not satisfied with a probe ordered by the Chhattisgarh Government, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to immediately take over the investigation into the incidents of violence that occurred in March in Morpalli, Tadmetla and Timapuram villages in Dantewada District or its neighbouring areas.

A woman Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter with the SF personnel in Balrampur Police District.

The Police claimed to have injured a few Maoists in an encounter in Raigarh District. SP Rahul Sharma said a group of around 30 Maoists attacked a Police team which was conducting a combing operation near Pardhiyapali village.

The CPI-Maoist promised to 'rehabilitate' and resettle all SPOs in Chhattisgarh who sever all connections with the State machinery and return to their villages, according to a signed press release.

Some pamphlets in broken Hindi, scribbled in blue and red ink, were found three kilometres from Dornapal, an area of the CPI-Maoist, in Dantewada District, naming a dozen SPOs as "enemies" of the people, and threatening that PLGA, military wing of the CPI-Maoist will get them.

The Police arrested a CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Raghunath, in Jashpur District. Raghunath was arrested during a search operation launched by the State Police and Crime Branch. Raghunath said he was forcibly engaged in the group and never wanted to get involved in such kind of 'unlawful activities'.

Chief Minister Raman Singh said his Government has decided to file a review petition on the Supreme Court order of disbanding of SPOs. He said Chhattisgarh was not the only State with SPOs.

DGP Vishwaranjan Singh said that the Police would ensure security to the locals who had volunteered to be a part of the Salwa Judum.

Six cadres of the CPI-Maoist were arrested in a combing operation by the Police from Dhaudai area in Narayanpur District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the house of one Mukesh Kaved, a SPO, and killed his mother in Kalanur village in Narayanpur District. The Maoists killed Punki Bai Kaved, the mother of Kaved while his father Rup Ji Kaved, was hanged on a tree but somehow survived.

The newly appointed DGP, Anil Navaney, speaking to the media persons in Raipur District said that Naxalism is the biggest challenge before the State and that the strategy adopted by the Police to tackle it would be reviewed from time to time.

CPI-Maoist blew up a bridge at Udanti near Devbhog, about 175 kilometers east of Raipur District, killing eight Congress Party workers.

CM Raman Singh said that an Army base coming up at Bastar in no way mean that Army man will be deployed against the Naxals in the region. He said Army personnel will impart training to State Police troopers. The State Government is also working out on a proposal to train more SPO to take on the Maoists.

The Police arrested 16 cadres of the CPI-Maoist during a combing operation in Dhoundai area in Narayanpur District.

A Maoist cadre, identified as Arun Tirkey, was arrested by the Police from Jashpur District.

In two separate incidents, the cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed two persons including a SPO in Bastar region.

The Maoists killed Subba Satyam, a SPO in Madded village in Bijapur District. Subba had gone out to buy things from the market, where a group of five Maoists reached and attacked him with an axe. They ran away after the killing, ASP BPS Rajbhanu said.

The Chhattisgarh Government lowered the educational qualifications for Adivasi youth to recruit them in the regular Police Force and Armed Force.

Two CPI-Maoist leaders, in the rank of 'divisional commander', surrendered before Bijapur Police.

A Heron - an Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that looks like the water-bird heron - will make its first flight on the first clear day between July 18-25, over the Abujhmad forests, and will later be joined by two more.

A reported alert issued by CRPF says that Maoists have acquired expertise to trigger IED blast in air, posing serious challenge to Security personnel.

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed Uslu Jurri, village head of Cheeka village in Bijapur District. Reportedly, Jurri was killed when he went to deliver some commodities to the Maoists.

The State Government is all set to raise an auxiliary armed force of adivasis for anti-Maoist operations in insurgency hit Districts. It has readied 'Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Ordinance 2011', which enables it to hire those with knowledge of local area, topography and language to 'assist security forces' in combating Maoist violence.

Accepting Chhattisgarh Government's contention that the Supreme Court judgment on disbanding of Salwa Judum (anti-Maoist vigilante group) will adversely affect anti-Naxal operations in the State, the Centre said it would call a meeting of CMs of Orissa and Jharkhand and discuss the matter with them after Chhattisgarh's move to bring in a new law to tackle the issue.

Eight CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested from Sulenga hills under the Dhaudai Police Station by the CRPF and Police. Two bombs, a detonator and some wires were recovered from them. They were involved in the killing of 27 troopers in the District last year and other criminal activities.

At least two Maoists were killed in a gun battle with the Police in Kesamundi forest of Bijapur District. Police did not suffer any casualties. Police recovered both bodies and two guns. The gun battle began when Maoists fired at a joint combing team of the DF, CAF and the STF.

The Dantewada Police busted an arms manufacturing unit and arrested four Maoists in separate operations. While three Maoists - Dilip and Nandalal - and their associate Ravindra Haldar were arrested from Sukma area of the District, the fourth one, Gangaraj, was arrested in another operation by Dantewada Police conducting a raid on an arms manufacturing unit of Maoists in Khammam District of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The Chhattisgarh High Court asked lower courts to ensure that under-trials and their lawyers are protected from Police threats. The order comes after a lawyer filed a petition alleging that Police threatened to implicate him in a false case or kill him in an encounter for representing alleged Maoists.

A CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Mahadev Mandavi (35) surrendered before the Police in the Nagari- Sihava block of Dhamtari District.

Maoists killed three villagers and threw their bodies on road in separate incidents in Bijapur District in the night, suspecting them to be Police informers. The bodies were recovered from Gangaloor, Basaguda and Bhopalpatnam areas of the District.

An absconding Maoist, identified as Kanwar Singh Kumethi, was arrested in Dodka village of Raipur District.

The State Government is working on a comprehensive plan to tackle the Maoist menace in the State. According to reports, the Government is planning to launch massive anti-Maoist operation simultaneously in the dense forests of Bastar and Gariyaband.

An unidentified Maoist was killed while two CRPF personnel were injured in an exchange of fire at Neelavaram village under the Sukma Police Station in Dantewada District. Police recovered a loaded pistol and a locally-made revolver from the spot.

Acting on a SC directive, the CBI took over the probe into the alleged acts of violence against Swami Agnivesh and his team during their visit to Chhattisgarh in March, and CPI-Maoist attacks at Morpalli, Tadmetla and Timmapuram villages in Dantewada District prior to it. The CBI has registered five cases in this connection.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed an unidentified tribal in Bhopalpatnam area under Bijapur District, suspecting him to be a Police informer. The middle-aged tribal was kidnapped and hit on the head with a sharp edged weapon. His body was found dumped on National Highway 16 in Bijapur district, officials at Police headquarters stated. The Maoists left a letter near the body claiming that they killed him as he was spying for the local Police.

Villagers of Chikpal near Sukma in Dantewada have alleged that the killing of Madkami Massa, the sarpanch of Chikpal was picked up by CRPF personnel on August 5 and killed in cold blood. However, both CRPF and the District Police say Massa was a Maoist who was killed in an encounter on August 6, in Neelavaram forest near Sukma.

Terming Naxalism as the biggest challenge to democracy, CM Raman Singh suggested sealing of the inter-state borders in the affected areas and deployment of Special Forces which are properly armed there. Speaking at a discussion on Naxalism at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, Singh, however, stressed that the problem could only be solved through dialogue and continuous development of the affected areas. Stating that Naxalism has to end and there was "no way backwards" on this, the CM cautioned that one had to be prepared for a long-drawn battle to end the menace.

An active member of Platoon 25 of the CPI-Maoist and 'commander' of Raoghat area action team Rajesh Potai surrendered before Police in Kanker District, said District SP Rahul Bhagat. Potai also handed over weapons including a 315-bore rifle, 50 live cartridges, one SLR and a magazine, he added.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh in his speech at State's main Independence Day function at the Police parade ground Raipur District termed the CPI-Maoist "inhuman" and said the State Government has launched a decisive drive against them.

CM Singh announced creation of nine new Districts that will come into effect from 2012.

One person identified as Beni Ghakad was killed by the Maoist cadres in Kumakoleng village under Tongpal Police Station in Dantewada District.

One STF head constable and four CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter between the Maoist cadres and the District Police along with the STF personnel at Ghodai Marg in Tirkanar forest area under Dhaudai Police Station in Narayanpur District.

A civilian and 11 Policeman were killed and three sustained injuries in an ambush set by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Metlaperu village forests under Bhadrakali Police Station area of Bijapur District.

The Chhattisgarh Government has informed the Supreme Court that it has disbanded and disarmed the tribals who were deployed as SPOs in anti-Naxal operations in the State and assured that all of them would be incorporated in the Police force.

Four CPI-Maoist cadres killed Bhima Ram Madkam, a Congress leader and Janpad member at his residence in Neelavaram village under Sukma block in Dantewada District. Madkam had come to his village to look after his agricultural lands when the Maoists killed him.

CPI-Maoist cadres shot dead a grain trader and set ablaze his vehicle in Madanwada area in Rajnandgaon District when he was on his way to a local market.

The State is to set up 35 new Police Stations in forest areas dominated by Maoists.

The State Government has given approval for air ambulances in the State.

The Ruias-led Essar Group denied the allegation of Wikileaks report released in August that it had paid 'protection money' to the CPI-Maoist to safeguard its operations in Chhattisgarh.

The Chhattisgarh Government ordered a judicial probe into the alleged staged shootout killing of Meena Khalko, a tribal teenaged girl branded as a CPI-Maoist cadre, by Policemen under Chando Police Station in Surguja District on July 6.

The CPI-Maoist cadres issued death threats on August 25, to Lakshmi Osare, a 12th class school girl and her family branding them as Police informer in Bhurke village under Kodekurse Police Station in Kanker District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres attacked a CRPF camp, 18 kilometres from the Bijapur District headquarters, and set it ablaze.

Two months after the Supreme Court held that the deployment of SPOs in the fight against Naxalites was illegal, the Chhattisgarh Assembly passed an Act authorising an "auxiliary armed force" to "assist security forces in dealing with Maoist/Naxal violence" and legalising existing SPOs by inducting them as members.

The Chhattisgarh Police arrested two persons for allegedly channeling INR 1.5 million from the Essar industrial group to the CPI-Maoists.

The BSF personnel recovered and defused a powerful IED planted by the CPI-Maoist cadres by the side of a busy road in Bhuski village in Kanker District averting any possible mishap. "The Improvised Explosive Device was kept in a steel container and was defused in good time before any vehicle could pass over it," a senior BSF officer said.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a village sarpanch in Bijapur District. The body of G Surraiyya, the sarpanch of Potampalli, about 500 kilometres from Raipur, was found on a forest road. "Surraiyya was abducted by the Maoists on September 13 and killed with a sharp weapon. Initial reports say that he was killed as the Maoists suspected him of spying for the Police and local authorities," an official at the Police headquarters said.

A Chhattisgarh Armed Force Constable, P. C. Khalko, was killed when the cadres of the CPI-Maoist opened fire at a Police camp at Pamalwaya in Bijapur District. "Maoists carried out a flash attack at the Police camp Friday early hours. Khalko, who was on duty just outside the camp, received bullet injuries and died on the spot," officials at the Police headquarters said. The officials added that the troopers retaliated from inside the camp but the Maoists managed to escape along with Khalko's AK-47 rifle.

Shivnath Mandal, a CRPF trooper, was killed in a surprising attack by CPI-Maoist cadres on a 60-member CRPF contingent in Bijapur District. According to the Police headquarters in Raipur, the Maoists could have inflicted more casualties, but the CRPF men retaliated and forced the guerrillas to retreat for cover in the dense jungle.

CPI-Maoist cadres ambushed a Police search team returning from its patrol in the dense forests of Aamed, about 70 kilometres from Gariaband area in Raipur District.

Alert was sounded across the State and extra para-military troopers deployed in forest areas as the CPI-Maoist began its weeklong foundation anniversary celebrations September 21 - 27, the Police said.

A Chhattisgarh Police team recovered a 25 kilogram "tiffin bomb" planted by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist by the roadside in a forested area in Raipur District.

A search team of Para-military Forces and the Chhattisgarh Police recovered five bombs planted by the CPI-Maoist cadres on a forest road in Kanker District. "Tiffin bombs were kept on a jungle road in Koilibera area.

CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a portion of rail tracks near Bhansi railway station in Dantewada District, causing disruption in train services. The blasts on rail tracks came on the last day of the weeklong foundation anniversary celebrations by Maoists.

The Dantewada Police arrested D.V.C.S. Verma, Essar group's General Manager for Kirandul, as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of the company routinely paying the Maoists significant sums of money to operate in Maoist-controlled territory. "Mr. Verma was arrested on the basis of information provided by B.K. Lala," SP Ankit Garg, said adding, "He will be in police remand for two days."

The Police arrested a woman CPI-Maoist cadre in Bijapur District. The woman cadre had been staying near the District Headquarters to get information on the movements and strategies of the administration.

The Chhattisgarh Police raided the residence of Jaipur-based human rights activist, Kavita Srivastava, general secretary of the PUCL, Rajasthan, in search of an absconding CPI-Maoist cadre, Soni Sori from that State.

A local Congress leader, President of block Congress committee Mehta Kumar Kaushik (64), was shot dead by suspected Maoist cadres in Door Mohla town in Rajnandgaon District.

The Maoists assaulted an alleged Police informer at Raoghat in Kakedar and robbed his house. According to eyewitnesses, around 40-50 Maoists attacked the 'informer' and intimidated the villagers to face consequences if they go to Police.

CPI-Maoist cadres killed a villager branding him as an alleged Police informer and dumped his body in a crowded market place at Bheeragaon in Bhanupratappur area in Kanker District. The victim was abducted on October 1, five days before he was found murdered.

Three troopers of the SSB were killed, and another seriously injured, when a powerful IED exploded under their vehicle near Geedam on National Highway 16 in Dantewada District.

CPI-Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter near Chinari village forests in Narayanpur District.

CPI-Maoist cadres stormed into the residence of a BJP MLA Damrudhar Pujari in Munagapdar village in Gariaband District snatched a weapon from his security guard and left the place without causing any harm, a Police officer said.

Five CPI-Maoist cadres, two of whom carrying reward on their heads, were arrested during a routine patrolling in the forest near Guttapal village in Narayanpur District.

The Maoists attacked a forest guesthouse in the village and tied up the forest guards in their quarters and also looted a ration shop, Dangi said. The Police team had gone there to visit the incident site and was ambushed while returning.

Six Policemen were killed and five others injured in a landmine blast and ambush by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District. The 16-member Police team was on its way to Netanar village, when it came under attack, ADG, Naxal operation Ramniwas said. A large group of Maoists set off an IED blast and opened fire on the Policemen, who were riding on eight motorcycles, as they approached the village. Six Policemen, including a Police Inspector, were killed on the spot and five others were injured in the attack, Bastar SP Ratanlal Dangi said. He added that at least three Maoists were suspected to have been killed in retaliatory firing by the Police.

Several Police squads sneaked into the forested parts of Bastar District in a bid to apprehend Maoists, a day after CPI-Maoist cadres killed six Policemen in an ambush. "Several District Force (DF) squads are combing forested parts at Netanar village and nearby areas to arrest Maoists who engineered the deadly ambush," said ADGP, Ramniwas.

The CPI-Maoist opposed foundation anniversary of the State to be celebrated November 1 and asked the people in its strongholds to stay away from the function. Several pamphlets in this regard were found on Narayanpur-Sonpur road in Narayanpur District.

After a hiatus of two months, the Army returned to Bastar to resume its training regime in jungle warfare. Fresh units, comprising 2500-3000 men of three battalions, have begun proceeding southwards from the state capital Raipur, confirmed an Army spokesperson.

SF's destroyed a Maoist memorial in Khunera forest under Om Chowki Police Station in Rajnandgaon District.

District Police Stations in Chhattisgarh may soon maintain a database of the fingerprints of every cook, waiter and helper in every hotel, restaurant and road-side dhaba (eateries) across the State.

In a joint operation Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) and Rajnandgaon District Police seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition and some other materials belonging to the CPI-Maoist in Rajnandgaon District. The cache included three 12-bore rifles, two carbine rifles, a total of 1,100 bullets, including 940 live cartridges of .303 rifles, six clamour mines, 11 hand-grenades, I78 gelatine rods, 32 detonators, wireless set, walky-talky, two charges . Apart from this, a huge stock of urea, a large number of pittus (back packs) used by Maoists, ground sheets and literature were recovered.

Two troopers of the CISF were killed as CPI-Maoist cadres attacked the mining facility of NMDC in Dantewada District. Only two troopers were present in the post when the incident took place and the Maoists carried away their weapons after killing them.

The Supreme Court lifted its July 5 ban on central funding of anti-naxal and anti-insurgency operations through SPOs in all States except Chhattisgarh. On July 5, a bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy, since retired, and SS Nijjar had clamped a complete ban on central funding, which accounted for a major chunk of the budget for anti-naxalite and anti-insurgency operations in many states on a petition filed by Nandini Sundar alleging illegal recruitment of tribal youth as SPOs in Chhattisgarh and large-scale illegalities committed by them.

On an application moved by the MHA, a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar clarified that the July 5 judgment would operate only in Chhattisgarh.

During the arguments on Nandini Sundar's petition, the Raman Singh Government had clarified that SPOs, whose salary budget is borne mainly by the central government (80%), were not peculiar to Chhattisgarh. If there were 6,500 SPOs in Chhattisgarh, their number in Jharkhand was 6,400, Bihar 6,353, Orissa 4,480, Andhra Pradesh 2,130 and Maharashtra 1,500, it had said.

As part of making adequate security arrangement in the mines operated by NMDC, the high-rise posts for keeping vigil in the mining site will be made bullet-proof, an NMDC official said. The decision was taken in wake of CPI-Maoist cadres killing two CISF troopers on November 16.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that guns alone cannot be the solution for the Maoist problem. "Our geographical location is such that we are in the centre of two major Naxal corridors -- east to west and north to south -- which pass through our state. If we block it, the Naxal movement will break down in all the affected states -- Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal," Raman Singh said.

The Chhattisgarh Police have registered a case and arrested four persons following allegations of payment of money by industrial house Essar to the CPI-Maoist, the Lok Sabha was informed.

A division bench of the Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed the bail petition of CPI-Maoist ideologue, Narayan Sanyal.

A 50 kilogram bomb planted by the CPI-Maoist was recovered by a patrolling team of the Chhattisgarh Police on a road in a forest pocket of Bijapur District.

Normal life was hit as vehicles went off the roads and people remained indoors in fear as the Maoist-called two-day shutdown to protest the killing of their top leader Mallojula Koteshwara Rao alias Kishanji.

The cadres of the CPI-Maoist blew up a bridge on National Highway Number 30, that connects the Bastar region to the State capital, by triggering a powerful landmine blast.

An IED suspected to have been planted by CPI-Maoist cadres was recovered by ITBP personnel in the course of an anti-Maoist operation in Rajnandgaon District. The IED weighing eight kilograms was found lying three feet beneath the soil near a culvert in Hidder village in the District.

Around two dozen armed cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed Shyamlal Netam (30), suspecting him to be Police informer, in Paralkot area in Kanker District. Netam worked on farmlands and used to take tuition classes for last one year, the Police said.

The Chhattisgarh Government said that Essar Group had handed over INR 1.5 million to a local contractor in the State to pass on to CPI-Maoist cadres. "As per the first information report (FIR), Rs.15 lakh amount was provided from Essar company side to a contractor, B.K. Lala on Sep 9 to hand over to Lingaram Kodopi at a weekly market at village Palnar in Dantewada district," Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar told the State assembly in a written reply. He informed the house that so far, four people were arrested in the case and the State Government had constituted a SIT to speed up the probe and get to the bottom of the issue. Kanwar said that besides Lala and Kodopi who were caught red-handed by the Police, two others -- a tribal woman teacher, Soni Sori, and Essar general manager, D.V.C.S. Verma, who is posted in Dantewada District -- were arrested so far.

Four tribals, including a postman, were killed by the CPI-Maoist cadres in Bastar District for allegedly refusing to follow the Maoist diktat to blow off a school building being used as a Police outpost.

CPI-Maoist cadres fired upon an IAF helicopter which had been sent to help the Police-CRPF operation in Dantewada District. As per the official information reaching Raipur, five troopers who were inside and the pilot were safe, though the helicopter was hit by nine rounds in the incident on December 19. The MI-17 chopper of IAF had been sent to help the police and CRPF forces which had undertaken a large-scale operation against Maoists on December 18. During the operation, nine Maoists were arrested and large cache of weapons was seized, senior Police officers said.

In an ongoing anti-Naxalite operation, the Chhattisgarh Police attacked a CPI-Maoist camp in Dantewada District and busted an arms manufacturing unit. The Police also arrested nine top Maoists during the raid.

The Chhattisgarh Police is planning to launch a major operation shortly to seize gun factories run by the Maoists in the State, the Police sources said. The sources said intelligence has already identified a number of weapons manufacturing units producing various types of firearms ranging from country made pistols to 302 rifles in dense forests of Bastar and Mahasamund Districts. Intel reports said the units, whose number may be no less than 500, are small in size, even run in huts and cottages deep inside forests. The sources disclosed that existence of such arms making units has been reported in Abujhmad, Kanker, Nagari, Sihaba, Sitanadi, Chura, Gariabandh, Debbhog, Ammamora, Charraunda, Rasela, Komakhana, Naram, Khati, Kasekara, and Tuhulu areas in Bastar and Mahasamund regions. "All the weapon manufacturing units are strategically located in liberated zones of Naxals to help the rebels supply the arms produced in factories to their operation areas smoothly in forest routes without attracting attention of Security Forces," the Police sources added.

Six CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested from a forested area of Awapalli in Bijapur District. Officials at Police headquarters here said that a contingent of DF tracked down the six Maoists in a well coordinated operation that ended late in the evening. The arrested Maoists had been involved in several attacks on Police and civilians in the District since June 2005.

The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a village sarpanch in the Kutru area in Bijapur District. The sarpanch was reportedly killed on charges being a Police spy.

The Maoists abducted a tribal youth from the same area in the District.

About 50 armed Maoists blew up a two-storeyed Police Station under-construction in Dantewada District. "Maoists stormed into the building at Geedam town, hardly 10 km from Dantewada town and set high-powered explosives and blew it up," Dantewada SP Ankit Garg said.

A day after cadres of the CPI-Maoist blasted Geedam Police Station in Dantewada District, SP of the District, Ankit Garg, has been removed and attached with the PHQ.

The Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) has earmarked INR 80 million on a publicity blitz to rid the state of the Naxal tag, which affects its tourism prospects. Speaking to reporters in Panaji, CTB general manager P. Sen Bhowmick said that a detailed media plan was being worked out to counter the image of the State which is affected by Naxal violence in several Districts.

In a joint search operation, Security Forces arrested five Maoists from Bhanupratappur in Kanker District. One of the arrestees is a proclaimed offender-in the Bhanupratappur area and a top Maoist cadre, who was wanted in a string of criminal cases, said Bhanupratappur SDPO, Tarakeshwar Patel.