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Odisha Timeline 2011
Date
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Incidents
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January 1
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At least five CPI-Maoist cadres,
including three women, were killed in an encounter with the Police
in Jajpur District.
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January 4
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Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
a trader, identified as Udaynath Sahu in Bhramarbari village under
Daringbadi block in Kandhamal District.
A land mine, packed with 100 kilograms
of explosives, planted by the Maoists under a small bridge was
detected by the Police in Jajpur District. 'The land mine was
planted beneath a culvert,' Superintendent of Police (SP) D S
Kuttey said.
Police identifies the Maoists
killed in the encounter with the Police in Jajpur District on
January 1. The women Maoists are Sabitri, Baby, Sujata and Janga
(12). Janga was a resident of Baligotha area of Kalinganagar.
Other three are resident of Keonjhar District.
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January 5
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Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
reported that several railway projects announced for Odisha in
the budget were not carried out and sought Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh’s intervention in their execution, saying it can check CPI-Maoist
menace in the region.
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January 6
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Five female cadres of the CPI-Maoist
surrendered before the DIG, Western Range in Keonjhar District.
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January 9
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Cadres belonging to the CPI-Maoist
including female cadres blew up a cabin signal point of Bandamunda
railway station of Sundergarh District.
Nine cadres of the CPI-Maoist,
including four women, were killed in an encounter with the District
Voluntary Force and D-CAT, a special team of Rayagada Police in
Rayagada District.
An exchange of fire also took
place between a group of Maoists, led by Azad of Bansadhara divisional
committee and SFs near Maliguda village under Kotgarh Police Station
limits in Kandhamal District, Police said. There were no reports
of casualty from either side. One self-loading rifle, a Maoists
kitbag and explosive material were seized from the spot, though
the Maoists managed to escape.
The Maoists called a bandh
in Kandhamal, Gajapati and Rayagada District on January 10, protesting
‘Operation Green Hunt’.
Six suspected Maoists, including
a woman, were arrested from Bisra area while the woman was arrested
from Bandamunda in connection with the Maoist attack at Bandamunda
railway station of Sundergarh District. Preliminary investigation
suggested that all the six were involved in blasting of signal
cabin at the Bandamunda railway station and planting of landmine
in Jareikela Police outpost and Bisra panchayat office,
Police claimed.
On the second day of the Maoist
bandh call vehicles in remote pockets of the District remained
off the road. The bandh call disrupted passenger transportation
in Daringbadi, Kotgarh and Tumudibandh blocks in Kandhamal District.
The Maoists had damaged two mobile
communication towers at Aligonda in the District.
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January 10
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A CPI-Maoist linkman and two suspected
cadres from West Midnapore District [West Bengal] were arrested
by the Odisha and West Bengal Police in Cuttack District, Police
said in Jhargram.
Odisha Home Secretary UN Behera
aid the State now could successfully prevent CPI-Maoist attacks
as it had "adequate force comprising five battalions of BSF and
seven battalions of CRPF besides its elite anti-Maoist SOG". About
50 units of SOG were engaged in anti-Maoist operation in the State,
Officials said. [One unit of SOG has 30 members.]
The Home Secretary described the
encounter in Badangmali area of Rayagada District on January 9
as an ‘intelligence based operation’, and said the State has developed
intelligence network to track Maoists movements. Odisha Government
feels implementation of IAP in 15 Maoist-hit and backward areas
have started paying dividend. About INR 8.5 billion would be spent
on these developmental works in next two years, the Home Secretary
added.
The Police identified all the
nine Maoists killed in the encounter of January 9 in Rayagada
District and confirmed that one of those killed was D Srinivas
Rao alias Rabi alias Devvuri alias Srinu
alias Ramesh, a top Maoist, heading a unit of the Bansadhara
division of the outfit and considered as 'guru' of Maoist leader
Sabyasachi Panda, Times of India reported on January 10.
The Maoists also burnt down a
truck near Adaba in Gajapati District.
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January 11
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Three civilians, including two
officials of the State Agricultural Department were injured when
cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a landmine blast targeting
the vehicle they were traveling near Odiapentha village in Narayanpatna
block of Koraput District.
Further, Police has claimed that
the Maoist fatality in the encounter on January 9, in Rayagada
District has gone up to 13. But the Police are yet to come
up with the identity of the rest four which it is claming.
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January 12
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Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were
killed in an encounter with the Police, SOG and CRPF in Pancham
hills in Rebana- Bansapal forest in Daitari area under Harichandanpur
Police station in Keonjhar District. After the encounter the Police
seized the dead bodies and two guns from the spot. The Police
are yet to identify the killed Maoists.
The Maoists have threatened to
blow up Police out Post of SCB Medical College and Hospital in
Cuttack District. The Commissionerate Police has increased the
security of SCB Medical College and Hospital campus.
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January 13
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The Planning Commission denouncing
bureaucratization of the recently launched IAP to contain Maoists
terror, the Odisha Government, said that it was ready to take
panchayat functionaries in the plan. District collectors
are free to take any member from panchayat bodies or civil
societies in the implementation of IAP, Special Secretary, Planning
and Coordination RV Singh told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
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January 14
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Three top cadres of the CPI-Maoist
were arrested from Batiguda forests in Kalimela Police Station
area in Malkangiri District during a combing operation by the
SOG and DVF. They are identified as Bhima Padiami, Deba Madhi
and Ganga Sodi of Rajolkanda gram panchayat area. However,
two senior Maoist leaders, Damodar and Akash of Kalimela Dalam,
could manage to escape from the site, SP Anirudha Singh said,
adding that two fire arms, some posters and dress used by Maoist
cultural wing, were seized by the SOG and DVF.
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January 15
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Five cadres of Kalinga Nagar division
committee of the CPI-Maoist including a minor boy and a woman
surrendered before SP in Jajpur District. They are identified
as Tima Mahakud, Dobra Tudu, Junguri Tiria, Lutu Hembram (23)
and Saley Palea (13).
Odisha Government has decided
to strengthen its anti-Naxalite (LWE) Force, Official sources
said. "A proposal to increase strength of SOG and DVF has been
accepted by the State Government," DGP Manmohan Praharaj said.
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January 17 |
Three cadres of the CPI-Maoist,
including two women, were arrested from Jujumura forest in Sambalpur
District.
While Sulochana is wanted in about
20 cases in Deogarh, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Sundargarh and Nayagarh,
Sarita was involved in almost all the Maoist violence in Rourkela
and Jharkhand area, he said.
A group of around 15 cadres of
the CPI-Maoist set ablaze five vehicles being used in the laying
of a road under the PMGSY at Barada village in the Badagada Police
Station limits in Sorada block of Ganjam District.
The incident occurred a few hours
before a bandh call given by Maoists in adjoining Kandhamal
District. According to sources, the Maoists gave the bandh
call to protest against the killing of nine of their cadre in
an encounter with Security Forces at Basangmali forest in the
Kashipur Police Station limits in Rayagada District on January
9.
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January 19 |
A top ranking CPI-Maoist Narasingha
Gangi surrendered before Chitrakonda Police in Malkangiri District.
Gangi is a resident of Baderu village of Didamula Division of
Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh, the Police said.
The Maoists triggered two Bomb
blasts in the Tangi Block Office in Khurdha District. Earlier,
the BDO had received death threat from the Maoists. Police recovered
two Maoist posters from the wall of Block Office. In the poster
they mentioned that the corruption of the Block is increasing
and the BDO is involved in the corruption.
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January 20 - 21 |
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist attacked
a camp of a construction firm involved in construction of remote
rural road under PMGSY and set ablaze a poclain machine in Ganjam
District.
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January 23 |
A leader of the CPI-Maoist-backed
CMAS, identified as Rama Padhi Puhala (35) was arrested from Bandhugaon
in Narayanpatna area of Koraput District. "He was wanted by both
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Police for his involvement in more than
12 criminal cases including murder, arson and rioting," SP A.K.
Sahu said.
The DG of BSF Raman Srivastava
reviewed the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in the worst-affected
Malkangiri District.
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January 24
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During a combing operation, a
bomb disposal squad defused the explosives weighing around 50
kilograms planted by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist near Barada
village, 15 kilometres from Baragada in Ganjam District. The Police
also recovered three landmines and 25 detonators from the reported
site, SP (Ganjam) Nitinjit Singh said.
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January 25
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A retired school teacher, identified
as Nargo Subhasundar (65), of Minjapanka village under Brahmanigaon
Police Station limits was reportedly abducted and subsequently
killed by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in Kandhamal District.
DIG R. K. Sharma said the dead body was recovered by the personnel
of SOG.
Two persons, suspected to be Maoist
sympathisers, were arrested from Jareikela under Bisra Police
Station in Sundargarh District, the Police said. Hemanta Gope
and Manoj Lakra were travelling in a bus from Rourkela to Jareikela
when the Police stopped the bus, checked the passengers and their
luggage and arrested them, sources said.
A black flag and some Maoist posters
were found at the Loharkhandi Bridge near Bhanjanagar areas of
Ganjam District. The Maoist posters were against the observation
of Republic Day. The miscreants had urged the public to observe
Republic Day (January 26) as black day.
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January 26
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On the Republic day celebration,
the District Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil handed over the cheque
of INR 300, 000 each to the family members of Lokanath Mandia
Sahoo of Gadaba village, Hari Sahukar of Katulpeta village under
Bandhugan Block, B. Biswanath of Balipeta village, and
Kumudini Sunabudi of Manpadi village under Narayanpatna Block
in Koraput District. The Central Government had sanctioned INR
300, 000 each to the family of five persons killed by the Maoists.
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January 27
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A village sarpanch, identified
as Srikant Samant, of Chandiposh in Sundergarh District was arrested
for supplying explosives to CPI-Maoist. Samant was arrested after
Police recovered a huge catch of explosives including gelatine
sticks, detonators and fuse wires from Chandiposh panchayat
building, SP Diptesh Patnaik said.
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January 28
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The Police in Sundargarh District
arrested a CRPF trooper, identified as Satyaban Bhoi (38), and
a motor mechanic, identified as Tarun Das, for their reported
links with the CPI-Maoist.
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January 29
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The Policemen and CRPF personnel
came across a camp of the CPI-Maoist during a combing operation
in Krupani reserve forest under Bandugaon Police Station area
in Sundargarh District.
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January 30
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Two top cadres of the CPI-Maoist
were arrested by the SOG and the DVF personnel during a combing
operation at Techguda forest under Kalimela Police Station limits
in Malkangiri District.
The Maoists gave a three-day bandh
call in Raighar block of Nabarangpur District from January 30.
They cut down trees to block the Raighar-Kundei road.
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February 1
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Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
speaking at the CM's conference on internal security sought the
inclusion of four more Naxal (LWE)-affected Districts, Kalahandi,
Nuapada, Bargarh and Bolangir under the Centre's Security-related
Expenditure Scheme (SRE) in addition to the existing 15 Districts.
A top CPI-Maoist, identified as
Kushal Kerketa (24), was arrested by a joint team of Police and
CRPF during a combing operation from Nuagaon-Raidihi village under
Bonai sub-division in Sundargarh District along Jharkhand border.
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February 3
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The CPI-Maoist in Odisha have
given a call for Bharat bandh on February 7 and asked people
to protest against price rise and large-scale corruption in the
State for three days from February 4.
Addressing the 55th Senior Police
Officers' conference at Cuttack, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
said the LWE violence in the State has declined in 2010 compared
to the previous year, 2009.
Further, asked the Senior Police
Officers of the State to honour Human Rights and uphold the dignity
of the general public while performing their official duties.
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February 6
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Two cadres of the CPI-Maoist were
arrested from a forest located in Muniguda Police Station area
in Rayagada District and a huge quantity of posters and other
publicity materials seized from them, Police said.
Meanwhile, around 5,000 members
of the Maoist-backed CMAS and BAMS organised a rally at Narayanpatna
in Koraput District demanding removal of BSF camp from their area.
During the Bharat Bandh
called by the Maoists, a strong group of armed Maoists opened
fire at a passenger train at Pattasahi near Chandiposh. No casualty
was reported in the incident.
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February 7
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CPI-Maoist 'commander' Samir Thalko
was shot dead in an encounter with Security Forces inside Chandiposh
forest area in Sundergarh District. Thalko was involved in the
killing of Ajit Bardhan, Sub-inspector of Koida Police Station,
in 2009. A 9-mm pistol and 30 rounds of live cartridges were found
from his possession, the Police said.
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February 9
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Cadres of the CPI-Maoist damaged
the Police outpost at remote Subarnagiri in the limits of Kotagarh
Police Station in Kandhamal District. According to the Police,
no one was injured at the Police outpost during the attack as
no armed Policemen were deployed at the remote outpost during
night. As per eyewitnesses, a group of around 40 Maoists reached
the Police outpost building at around midnight. They broke into
it and ransacked it. They also set ablaze the documents and furniture
of the outpost. They pasted some posters at the spot. Through
them the Maoists opposed construction of a building near the outpost
which could be used as a barrack for security personnel in future.
They threatened to kill anyone who would get involved in the construction
work. They also opposed the measures of the Police to build up
relations with people living in remote areas through Jan Sampark
Sivir (Public Relation Camps).
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February 10
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Four Maoists, involved in several
cases of crime, were arrested and a huge cache of arms and explosives
seized in Keonjhar District, according to the Police. Three Maoists
were arrested during combing by CRPF personnel and State Policemen
from Chutung forest near Rebana-Palaspal area, while another was
arrested from a jungle in Telkoi area. Six detonators, two gelatine
sticks, batteries and wires, a locally-made rifle, some ammunition
and volumes of Maoist literature like leaflets, books and posters
were seized from the them.
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February 11
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At least three cadres of the CPI-Maoist,
including an 'area commander', were killed in an encounter with
the Security Forces in Sundargarh District. The exchange of fire
took place during a joint combing operation by the CRPF troopers
and DVF, a specialised force of Armed Police Reserve trained in
anti-Maoist warfare, in the Saranda forest under Bisra Police
Station limit, bordering Jharkhand, CRPF sources said. Bodies
of three Maoists were recovered after the gun battle, they said,
adding one of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Musleem,
'area commander' of Maoists in Digha and Jareikela areas in Jharkhand.
Musleem has at least 40 cases lodged against him for murder and
attack on Government establishments in the District and East Singhbhum
District of Jharkhand. One of the other two killed Maoists was
a Nepali while the identity of the third could not be established.
An American rifle, a 9-mm pistol, large quantity of cartridges
and volumes of Maoist literature, including leaflets and posters,
were recovered from the encounter site.
A SPO, identified as Narenga Mallick
of Dunguda village, working with the Kotagada Police was killed
by Maoists in Kandhamal District. The Maoists left a poster on
the spot and mentioned that they have killed him as he has not
resigned from the job. The posters also threatened the localities
not to help the Police during combing operation. Maoists also
threatened to kill the youths who would prefer to become home
guards or SPOs. Earlier the Maoists have threatened Mallick to
leave the job.
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February 12
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The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
Kandri Lohar (23), a home guard, and her son Kanha (4), in Sundargarh
District. Kandri, a resident of Sagjodi village of West Singhbhum
District in Jharkhand, had joined the Maoists when she was 20.
She left the Maoist outfit in 2005 and later joined Odisha Police
as a home guard.
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February 14
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Four home guards resigned from
their job fearing the CPI-Maoist in Kotagada Police Station in
Kandhamal District.
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February 16
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CPI-Maoist cadres abducted R.
Veenil Krishna, District Collector of Malkangiri District while
he was returning after an interaction programme in K Gumma block
of the District. The incident happened, just two days before Union
Home Minister P Chidambaram's scheduled video-conference with
the Collectors of 60 Maoist-hit Districts.
A team of CRPF troopers and Odisha
SOG personnel, during their joint patrolling recovered and defused
three landmines from two places along the Odisha-Jharkhand border,
about 25 kilometers from Rourkela in Sundargarh District. Two
landmines weighing about 10 kilograms each were recovered at a
place between Raidihi and Nuagaon, while another landmine of about
25 kilograms was recovered between Mahuapada and Nuagaon road.
Four more home guards of Kotagarh
Police Station, Trinath Paltasingh, Susant Baliarsingh, Kabi Chandra
Nayak and Nilanchala Dandasena, have tendered their resignations
to the Superintendent of Police citing the reason that they are
being threatened by Maoists in Kandhamal District. Four of their
colleagues resigned from the job citing the same reason on February
14.
The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a
tribal, identified as Wadeka Nasanna, of Dandabadi village under
Narayanpatna Block in Koraput District.
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February 17
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Government sources told that they
had been able to make contact with Akkaraju Haragopal alias
Ramakrishna alias RK, a top Maoist leader who is on the
Maoist central committee, to negotiate the safe release of the
abducted District Collector and the junior engineer.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
urged the Maoists to release the "young Collector who is known
for his hard work for the poor and tribals". Residents of Malkangiri
town observed a shutdown and held a massive rally demanding his
safe release. In Kandhamal, Ganjam, Rayagada and Mayurbhanj, where
Krishna had worked in various capacities, people organised rallies
and enforced bandhs.
State Home Secretary U. N. Behera
told that commando action was not being considered to free Krishna
and Majhi.
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February 18
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Hours after a 48-hour ultimatum
ran out the CPI-Maoist extended the deadline for the conditional
release of Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna and junior engineer
Pabitra Majhi. With back-channel talks on, Orissa Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik appealed to the Maoists for the safety of the captives.
It is not clear by how long Maoists were prolonging the talks
window.
Late in the night of February
17, the Maoists sent a release written in Telugu to some reporters,
saying Someswara Rao, former professor of Economics at Sambalpur
University, Haragopal, retired professor of Political Science,
Central University, Hyderabad; and Ganjam (Odisha)-based convener
of Political Prisoners Release Committee Dandapani Mohanty be
made mediators.
The Maoists released a note signed
by Bhaskar, a top Maoist, demanding release of Prasadam, Sudhakar,
and Padma alias Sirisha, wife Andhra-Orissa Maoist chief
Ramakrishna. Further, the Maoists demanded dropping of "false"
cases against a number of their senior members and also sought
land rights for tribals in Narayanpatra, scrapping of Polavaram
irrigation project, stopping of bauxite mining at Mali and Deomali
hills. They asked for irrigation in Kalimela block and tribal
status for Nauka Dora and Konda Reddy communities as well. Orissa`s
top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda alias Sunil, in an interview
to a private news channel, warned of dire consequences if their
demands were not met.
Maoists disrupted the road transport
network in Malkangiri District by felling trees and triggering
a landmine. The Maoists felled trees and dug up the Orissa state
highway-25 at several places on the Govindapalli ghat section
leading to Malkangiri.
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February 20
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The talks between the Odisha Government
and mediators chosen by the CPI-Maoist began in Bhubaneswar for
the release of abducted Malkangiri District collector R. V. Krishna
and a junior engineer.
The State Government agreed not
to oppose the bail petition of Prasadam when it comes up for hearing
before a Koraput court, sources said.
Maoists are believed to have shifted
Krishna and the junior engineer to another one of their strongholds
after they came to know about a rescue bid by tribal villagers
of the area.
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February 21
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The Naveen Patnaik Government
accepted eight of the 14 demands of the CPI-Maoist made for the
release of Malkangiri Collector R. Vineel Krishna and Junior Engineer
Pabitra Majhi. ''We've so far agreed on eight issues based on
specific Government measures and decisions,'' said Odisha Home
Secretary U N Behera. He assured reporters that the captives were
safe.
Behera read out a statement on
the eight points of agreement. These were: (1) Odisha Government
will write to Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to take action on the
extremists demand for release of Maoist central committee (MCC)
members Sheela di (jailed in Jharkhand) and Padma (in Chhattisgarh)
owing to their ill-health; (2) Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for
the Konda Reddy and Nukadora communities categorized as Other
Backward Castes (OBCs); (3) stopping the multi-purpose Polavaram
project of Andhra Pradesh; (4) 'pattas' (record of rights) to
tribals dispossessed of their land in the District of Malkangiri
and Koraput; (5) irrigation in Maribada and Maniamkonda villages
in Malkangiri; (6) compensation based on High Court (HC) order
to Tadangi Gangulu and Ratanu Sirika who died of disease allegedly
due to torture; (7) relevant laws for mining operations in Mali
and Deomali bauxite mines; (8) minimum displacement of tribals
and adequate compensation.
Naveen Patnaik expressed in the
State Assembly replying to a question of Naba Kishore Das in the
legislature that 178 Maoists have surrendered before the Police
from the year 2001 to 2010. As per the Surrender and Settlement
Policy 2006 of the State Government, action is being taken for
their settlement. Replying to a question of Pratap Sarangi, Patnaik
expressed that 145 Maoists violence occurred during the year 2010-11
up to the month of January and 260 Maoist related violence occurred
in past three years. Maoist activities noticed in 99 Police Station
of 19 Districts. The Government has taken different steps to confront
the Maoists activities.
CMAS of Narayanpatna in Koraput
District sought dialogue with the State Government to resolve
their long-standing demands and release of their ‘innocent members',
who are in jail on charges of alleged Maoist links. CMAS leader
Nachika Linga said he was ready to come out and hold direct talks
with the Government to end the land-related exploitation of tribals
in Narayanpatna area and release of arrested CMAS activists. He
asked why the State Government never showed similar seriousness
to resolve issues related to exploitation of tribals in remote
areas which it showed for the release of the abducted Collector
R. Vineel Krishna. "It again proves even in a democratic
system all are not the same in the eyes of the ruling class,"
he alleged. He also alleged that around 40 cases had been slapped
on him intentionally and over 150 of CMAS activists were arrested
to suppress their voice against exploitation.
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February 22
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The abducted Collector R. Vineel
Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi were released as soon
as the Odisha Government agreed to the demands of the CPI-Maoist
in the Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri District. "We agreed on
all 14 issues," State Home Secretary U N Behera said. Among their
14 demands were calling for a halt to anti-Maoist operations by
Security Forces, release of all political prisoners, scrapping
of accords with MNCs for land transfer and projects, and compensation
for the families of Maoist sympathisers killed in Police custody.
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February 23
|
The CPI-Maoist backtracked and
issued a fresh demand that they will hold onto Malkangiri Collector
Vineel Krishna till they get custody of five of their leaders
who are currently in jail.
Sources said that the Maoists
have now also demanded the release of top Maoist Sriramalu Srinivasulu,
who is currently awaiting trial in Andhra Pradesh, along with
Ganti Prasad and Padma, wife of Ramakrishna alias RK. These
demands come in addition to the other demands that had earlier
been put before the Odisha Government. The Maoists say they need
Prasad and four others to be escorted to Malkangiri in exchange
for Collector Krishna.
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February 24
|
The nine-day hostage crisis ended
with the State capitulating to the biggest-ever prisoner swap
involving hardcore CPI-Maoist cadres to secure the release of
Malkangiri District collector R Vineel Krishna. The Maoists released
Krishna just 3 kilometres from where they had abducted him. This
was when interlocutors were on their way to Chitrakonda for further
negotiations after the Maoists raised additional demands calling
for a public swap of the collector with nine of their imprisoned
comrades. In the event, the Government agreed to release five,
refusing to let go two key leaders of their group. Krishna was
freed after a four-hour long public meeting called by the Maoists
in Tentuliguda village with about 1,500 villagers. The Maoists
made speeches and discussed issues like mining and under-development
during the meeting. The meeting ended at 4.30pm [IST] after which
the collector crossed the Balimela reservoir. The Maoists had
called for the release of Srinivasulu, Ashutosh, and Shobha, after
Odisha Government had already conceded 14 original demands. The
Government agreed to release Ganti Prasad whose bail application
was heard in a Koraput court on February 24, apart from Padma,
Ishwari, Sarita and Gokul. The key Maoists whose release was sought
but rejected by the Government are Srinivasulu and Ashutosh. Shobha,
another key Maoist leader, is in a Jharkhand jail and the Odisha
Government said it would take up her release with that State.
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February 26
|
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
ignored the advice of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram that
release of Naxals in exchange of Malkangiri collector will set
a bad precedent. Sources said that after R Vineel Krishna's release,
the Central Government had to send out fresh security precautions
to States whose officials could be vulnerable to such abductions.
The Odisha Government registered
a Police case against three top ranking cadres of AOB zonal committee
of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Prasad, Bibhuti and Madhav under
various sections of IPC and the Arms Act, in connection with the
February 16 abduction of Malkangiri District collector R. V. Krishna
and a junior engineer, Pavitra Majhi. The Officer-in-Charge of
Pepermetla Police Station Premchand Bag had suo motu filed the
case a day after the incident at Chitrakonda Police Station, Malkangiri
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Umashanker Das said. The Collector
and engineer were released later.
In a separate incident, Jayaram
Pangi, Member of Parliament (Koraput District) and Ramamurty Mutika,
Member of Legislative Assembly (Gunpur, Koraput), reportedly received
threatening letters from one Azad of Bansadhara division of the
Maoists, stating that they will receive death penalty if they
continued with their anti-tribal activities. Both Pangi and Mutika
are known tribal leaders from the tribal belt of southern Odisha.
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February 28
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The bail application of Sriramulu
Srinivasulu, one of the CPI-Maoist cadres whose release had been
demanded by abductors of Malkangiri District Collector R V Krishna,
was rejected by a local court. Additional District Judge M S Dhal
rejected the bail plea of Srinivasulu, who had a week ago been
granted bail by a Fast Track Court in connection with another
case, his lawyer R P Patnaik said.
|
March 1
|
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram
refrained from confirming that he had opposed Odisha Government's
decision to release five CPI-Maoist cadres to secure the release
of District Collector R. Vineel Krishna and a junior engineer
P. Majhi from the captivity of the Maoists. Asked about the "swap",
Chidambaram limited himself to saying that he respected the "judgement"
of the Odisha Government. "It's not important whether we agree
or disagree. It was a sensitive matter and it was handled by the
State Government. They have handled it to the best of their ability,"
Chidambaram said.
One Manas Kumar Parida of Jagatpur
of Cuttack District filed a PIL urging the High Court to direct
the CBI for a thorough inquiry into the alleged abduction of Malkangiri
Collector and a junior engineer by the Maoists and their subsequent
release after eight days of captivity.
|
March 2
|
In a meeting chaired by the Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik, it was decided that the State Government
would not withdraw SFs from areas dominated by the CPI-Maoist,
though it announced to halt combing operations since February
20, following abduction of Malkangiri District collector R Vineel
Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, a senior Home Department
official said. "According to commitments made to the mediators,
the State Government will not take any coercive step till peace
prevailed," Chief Secretary BK Patnaik said earlier. Besides 12
battalions of central para-military forces (seven battalions of
CRPF and five battalions of BSF, adequate number of Odisha Police's
elite anti-Naxalite force - SOG, IRB, DVF and SPOs were also deployed
for anti-Maoist operations. Now with the State Government deciding
not to execute Operation Green Hunt, these Forces would keep a
watch on the movement of Maoists and their activities, the official
said. "Presence of BSF and CRPF in Maoist-hit areas is itself
an indication that the State Government will act if required,"
the official added.
|
March 4
|
Three CPI-Maoist cadres surrendered
before the Police in Keonjhar District. The surrendered cadres
are identified as Sadhu Mahakud (16), Mahendra (15) and Sangit
(38) were wanted for several crimes, including blowing up a Police
Station, setting ablaze and ransacking liquor shops, attacking
the Police and villagers, and damaging private and Government
vehicles. Sangit was involved in the Nayagarh attack in 2008,
SP Ashish Kumar Singh said.
Justice C.R. Das, of the Odisha
High Court has granted conditional bail to four Maoist cadres,
identified as Roza Mandangi, Gokul Kuldipia, A. Iswari and Kendula
Sirisha alias Padma, whose release had been demanded by
the Maoists for the release of Malkangiri District Collector R
Vineel Krishna from their captivity. The Judge has granted bail
against deposit of INR 20,000. Roza and Gokul will report to the
Investigating Officer (IO) in every 15 days. Further, with the
condition that they cannot go outside of the District without
the permission from the Police. The court also directed the Odisha
Police to hand over Iswari and Padma to Andhra Pradesh Police
within two days. The two were asked not to enter the State until
summoned by the SDJM’s court in Jeypore, Koraput District. In
addition, Maoist leader Ganti Prasadam, who is currently lodged
in the Koraput District jail, is likely to be out on bail, with
his lawyer trying to get people who would stand surety for him.
|
March 5
|
Satrughan Biswal alias
Mangu alias Mohan, the second-in-command in CPI-Maoist
of the Odisha State Committee, was arrested by the Police from
near the railway station in Bargarh District. Biswal, a resident
of Ersama area in Jagatsinghpur District, was operating in three
Districts of Bargarh, Nuapada and Bolangir, SP Soorya Thankappan
said. One country-made 9 mm pistol, six rounds of ammunition,
a mobile phone, cash amounting to INR 54, 550, a letter to Maoist
leaders and various Maoist-related documents were recovered from
him, SP Thankappan said. Biswal, actively associated with Maoist
activities since 2006, is considered as next to Sabyasachi Panda
in the Maoist rank and file in the State.
|
March 7
|
The CPI-Maoist had called a State-wide
bandh, to protest against the violation of the peace agreement
arrived at during the Malkangiri hostage crisis by arresting a
top Maoist leader in Bargarh District on March 5. The bandh
was called by the outfit's Odisha State Organizing Committee.
About 20 Maoist posters were found
near the proposed site of the POSCO Steel Plant in parts of Ersama
of Jagatsinghpur District. The posters were written in Oriya,
in which the Maoists warned the authority of "consequences" if
the land acquisition work was not stopped immediately. In these
posters the Maoists claimed that all political parties Congress,
BJD, BJP among others were dancing to the tune of the private
companies and allowing these companies to loot minerals of the
State. Some of these posters were found on the walls of Ersama
High School and store house of the supply department.
Five Maoists cadres identified
as Ganti Prasadam, Padma, wife of Maoist leader Ramakrishna, Andaluri
Iswari, Rosa Mandangi and Gokul Kuldipia booked at Koraput jail
expressed their unwillingness to be released despite being granted
bail by the Odisha High Court after the State Government decided
to withdraw cases against them in the wake of Malkangiri District
collector's abduction. The Maoist leaders demanded the release
of 627 tribals lodged in different jails. "Unless the Government
starts initiative to free the tribals from jail according to the
agreement, we will not avail of the bail," Ganti Prasadam told
his lawyer Nihar Patnaik.
According to SP, Nuapada, Rajesh
Pandit, the Maoists have started consolidating in the Sunabeda
tiger reserve in Nuapada District. SP Pandit said that around
175 Maoists are entrenched in the sanctuary. "The number of Maoists
has increased in the past two weeks. It has almost trebled as
earlier only 50 to 60 Maoists had been camping in the area," the
SP said.
|
March 10
|
In a high-level meeting held in
Bhubaneswar under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik,
the State Government has decided to construct 614.82 kilometres
of road under State Road Project during the 2011-12 financial
years in 15 CPI-Maoist-affected Districts of the State. As many
13 new road and one bridge project would be constructed in the
tribal dominated areas, according to an official spokesperson.
He said that for the development of road connectivity in the CPI-Maoist-affected
Districts of the State, project proposals were submitted with
Centre for Improvement of 490 kilometres of State roads and sanction
of Government of India has been received for 205 kilometres of
roads. He said that by 2011 January, 362 road projects have been
approved under RIDF under NABARD assistance.
|
March 11
|
The CPI-Maoist cadres threatened
the District authorities against carrying out any road construction
activities and "prohibited" entry of Government officials
into the "cut off" area of six Panchayats and
a number of tribal hamlets on the AOBSZC, bringing all development
activities to a grinding halt. "Three days ago, the CPI-Maoist
communicated to staff posted in the mainland that they would not
allow any construction activity, including building of roads in
the area and also warned against Government officials visiting
the "cut off" area," Official sources said in Kudumulu
Gumma block.
In its bid to encourage youths
to join mainstream, the State Government has planned a mega job
fair in CPI-Maoist-affected Districts. "A Mega Job Fair has been
planned in Left-Wing Extremism affected Districts like Malkangiri,
Koraput and Nabarangpur on March 12 and 13," said Director of
State Employment Mission A K Padhee in Bhubaneswar.
A Standing Committee of Odisha
Legislative Assembly on Home Department recommended creation of
a Security Battalion to guard 16 jails in CPI-Maoist-affected
areas and eight other highly sensitive prisons. The committee
said that the CPI-Maoist are trying to open up new fronts in Odisha-Chhattisgarh
border by expanding its activities to Districts like Nabarangpur,
Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bolangir and Bargarh. "The outfit is also
trying to consolidate in Mayurbhanj District bordering West Midnapore
District of West Bengal," the committee cautioned the State Government
in its report tabled in the Assembly. Stating that as many as
179 CPI-Maoist were arrested till November 2010, the committee
suggested that adequate security needs to be placed around jails
housing top Maoist cadres.
The Odisha High Court rejected
the bail application of top CPI-Maoist leader Ashutosh Soren who
was arrested for his alleged role in the Nayagarh armoury loot
case of February 2008. Justice C R Dash refused to grant bail
to Ashutosh stating that some arms looted from the armoury were
traced in possession of the bail applicant who was arrested by
Rourkela Police just about a year after the Nayagarh incident.
|
March 15
|
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist reportedly
set ablaze an excavator being used for PMGSY work in Kalimela
Police Station area of Malkangiri District. According to sources,
Padia Dalam of Maoists was involved in the act. Inspector
R.K. Pati from Malkangiri said, as per eye witnesses around a
dozen Maoists, led by woman Maoist ‘commander’ Meena reached the
spot to set ablaze the excavator. The excavator was parked near
Sangel village of Undrukonda Panchayat of Kalimela Block.
|
March 16
|
A Malkangiri court acquitted Maoist
leader Srinivas Sriramalu (41), former chief of Revolutionary
Writers Association, in a dacoity case of 2007. Srinivas was asked
to be released by the Maoists in exchange in the abduction case
of Krishna and Majhi. According to his lawyer, Srinivas who was
arrested in 2007 from Bariguda forest in Kalimela area of the
District had been tried in six cases since then and he was acquitted
in all six cases, including three murder charges. "First Srinivas
was tried in four cases in which he was acquitted. But the Police
again implicated him in two more cases in which he was acquitted,"
his counsel said. Prior to his arrest Srinivas was carrying a
cash prize of INR 1.2 million in Andhra Pradesh.
|
March 17
|
Seven CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested
by the Police in a search operation started in the Saranda forest.
Two miscreants identified as Dambaru
Dadhia and Dayanidhi Khila of Mantriput village were arrested
for extorting money in the name of Maoists from Chitrakonda area
in Malkangiri District.
A female Maoist leader Chanpa
Madangi alias Aruna surrendered before the, SP Anup Krishna,
in Rayagada District. She expressed that she has left the Maoist
organization to be included in the mainstream. She is a resident
of Laxmipur area in Koraput District. She was working in the Niyamgiri
Dalam.
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist fired
at two persons, seriously injuring both in Malkangiri District.
Police said a group of four masked Maoists fired at Sukra Hantal
(50), the village priest, as soon he opened the door of his house
in Katapalli village, about 40 kilometres from Malkangiri, injuring
the priest, while 25 other Maoists were waiting outside. The priest's
wife Hiramani (35) was also hit by bullets and was seriously injured,
the Police said.
|
March 19
|
Train services between Rourkela
and Barsua in Sundargarh District were suspended, following threat
given by the cadres of the CPI-Maoist in protest against ongoing
'Saranda Operation’ in Jharkhand area of Orissa-Jharkhand border.
Several Maoists, according to the Police sources, pasted posters
and placed red banner on the railway track at Topadihi station
forcing the authorities to suspend the rail services, railway
sources said. The train line is connected to the mining belt to
transport iron ore to Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and only one
passenger train operates on that route which has been suspended
due to threat, they said.
|
March 21
|
In reply to a question in the
State Assembly in Bhubaneswar, CM Naveen Patnaik said that an
estimated 700 CPI-Maoist cadres were active in 19 Districts of
the State and the Government has begun the process of identifying
them. The identification of Maoists was a time consuming process
as the members of the banned outfits often take fake names. The
State Police along with Central Paramilitary Forces deployed in
different parts of the State were engaged in raids, frisking and
other activities to identify them, Patnaik added. He further rejected
allegations of killings during encounters and arrest of innocent
tribals. Replying to another question, CM said as many as 81 Maoists
has surrendered before the Police during the last five years.
|
March 22
|
The white paper released by State
Home Department stated that CPI-Maoist cadres killed 75 persons
including 53 civilians while the SF personnel killed only 12 Maoists
in Odisha during 2010. Though 61 persons were killed by the Maoists
in 2009, the number of killing increased last year. While 28 civilians
were killed by the Maoists in 2009, the number of civilian casualty
increased to 53 in 2010, the paper said adding that 20 Maoists
were shot dead by the SF personnel in 2009. Many innocent persons
were being killed by the Maoists in the name of Police informers.
"People opposing the Maoists activities were also victims," the
paper added. In a bid to weaken the morale of SF personnel, the
Maoists used to organise bandh, road blockade and blew
up culverts and telephone towers, it said adding while ten Maoists
had surrendered before the Police in 2009, the number rose to
44 in 2010. The white paper further said the number of Districts
hit by the Maoists increased to 19 by 2010 even as Paramilitary
Forces were deployed in the entire southern Odisha. As part of
efforts to combat the Maoists, the State Government has taken
several steps like banning the CPI-Maoists and its six frontal
organisations, creation of a Unified Command to monitor anti-Maoist
operation and setting up of new battalions among others.
|
March 23
|
The bail application of top CPI-Maoist
leader Sriramulu Srinivasulu in Odisha High Court was adjourned
to April 14 in Cuttack District. Adjourning the hearing, Justice
C.R. Dash called for the case diaries. The Maoist leader, who
was acquitted in a dacoity case earlier this month, has been lodged
in Malkangiri jail for his alleged involvement in assaulting Policemen.
|
March 24
|
The Odisha Government announced
that a Special Task Force (STF) in the Crime Branch would be created
to effectively deal with organized crimes as well as for investigation
of CPI-Maoist-related cases. Replying to the discussion on the
demand for grants relating to Home and General Administration
Department for the year 2011-12 fiscal, CM Naveen Patnaik announced
that an Economic Offence Wing in Crime Branch would be created
to deal with cases pertaining to investment related fraud, land
related forgery and fraud and bank frauds. On the measures to
tackle the Maoist menace, the CM said that to boost the morale
of Forces engaged in anti-insurgency operations, it has been decided
to waive the ceiling limit of income to extend the benefit of
rehabilitation assistance to the next of kin of Police Officers
killed in Maoist violence. He said that the State Government had
decided to enhance the strength of elite anti-Maoist operation
Force, the SOG by creating 1,609 new posts taking the sanctioned
strength to 3,967.
|
April 1
|
Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
attacked, looted and ransacked the house of a trader at Asurabandha
village under Sorada block in Ganjam District. According to sources,
a group of around 30 cadres of the Maoists had reached the Asurabandha
village, targeted the house of Brajabandhu Choudhury and searched
for his son Badri Choudhury, a cloth merchant and private money
lender. Badri was not at home. The cadres dragged the whole family
out of the house. Then they ransacked it and looted all the valuables.
They also ransacked and looted a medicine shop and cloth shop
near the house. Later, they also threatened a licensed liquor
shop to close down its operations.
|
April 2
|
14 cadres of the CPI-Maoist-backed
CMAS have been acquitted by the Additional District Judge Suresh
Kumar Patnaik in Koraput District. After abduction of the Malkangiri
Collector and Junior Engineer of Kudumulu Gumma Block, the mediators
placed conditions to release 617 under trial prisoners of CMAS
from different jails. It was alleged that about more than 200
CMAS cadres along with the Maoists attacked on a country liquor
shop and set ablaze in the night of January 4, 2009. As per the
FIR of the owner of the country liquor shop, Rajendra Kumar Jadab,
the Police arrested 14 cadres of CMAS. The Additional District
Judge Patnaik acquitted the 14 cadres due to want of evidence.
|
April 2
|
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
two persons, including a village ward member, finding them guilty
at a praja court at Naglur village within Kalimela Police
limits in Malkangiri District. The duos were identified as Tapel
Gangeya, a villager and Sanyasi Barge, the village ward member.
"The rebels had summoned five villagers to the praja court
but zeroed in on the two and pumped bullets into them. Since the
release of the collector, this is the first Maoist offensive in
the district," Inspector-in-Charge of Kalimela Police Station
Debasish Mishra said.
|
April 3
|
Chenda Bhushanam alias
Katru alias Ghasi alias Nagraju (45), a top leader
of the CPI-Maoist AOBSZC was arrested during a joint combing operation
by the SOG troopers, Greyhounds and Odisha Police at near Pendajam
village of Dudhari Panchayat under Semiliguda Police Station
in Koraput District. Ghasi belonged to a village near Araku valley
in Vishakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh, joined the Maoist
movement long ago and worked for the East Godavari Division. Ghasi
carried a reward of INR One million on his head. He was reportedly
involved in over 30 cases of Maoist-related violence, which he
committed with complicity of another top Maoist leader Daya. He
is said to be next only to top Maoist leader and ‘secretary’ of
AOBSZC Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias
RK. Ghasi was described as the ‘military and action man’
of the outfit and was also the spokesperson for Koraput-Srikakulam
Division. The Police have seized a 9mm pistol from him.
171 activists of CPI-Maoist-backed
CMAS lodged in Koraput jail have started hunger strike from April
4 demanding their release. These imprisoned CMAS activists have
taken up this agitation under leadership of spokesperson of the
outfit Tapan Mishra.
|
April 6
|
The Odisha Government claimed
that at least 20 cadres of the CPI-Maoist were killed and 38 others
arrested during first three months of 2011 in the face of opposition
claim that the morale of State Police was at its lowest after
five Maoists were set free to secure release of abducted Malkangiri
District Collector.
In a reply to an adjournment motion
in the House of State Assembly on April 6, CM Naveen Patnaik said,
"Security Forces during the first three months of 2011 have
arrested 38 ultras while 20 others died in operation. Fifteen
Maoists have surrendered before the police during the period."
Rejecting the opposition allegation that there was total anarchy
in the State, Patnaik said the State Government was taking all
possible steps to contain Naxal (LWE) violence. "There had been
regular joint operation against the LWE in the State's border,"
he added. Besides, Patnaik said, a large number of arms and ammunition
was seized by SFs personnel during raids on Maoist hideouts. "The
Police were keeping a close watch on the movement and activities
of Maoists," the CM added.
|
April 8
|
Two CPI-Maoist cadres including
a minor surrendered in Jajpur District. The duo, Anil and Baya,
surrendered before the SP Dhirendra S. Kuttey. "Since five
years Baya is working with the Maoists and Anil has been working
for the last one and half years with the Maoists and they were
involved in various violent Maoist activities", the SP said.
Police said that under central Government's rehabilitation policy,
the surrendered Maoists would be provided with occupational assistance
to make them professionally active and earn their daily bread.
|
April 9
|
Following a tip-off regarding
the presence of about 10 cadres of the CPI-Maoist, the CRPF troopers,
local Police and DVF raided a Maoists camp at Bali Hills in Keonjhar
District. The Maoist camp was neutralised and the Police recovered
a huge cache of explosives. "This is the biggest haul from any
Maoist camp in the District," Keonjhar SP Ashish Singh told reporters
adding that the Security Force Personnel had to defuse some land
mines in order to reach the Maoist camp. The recovered materials
included one GPS set, 72 detonators, battery, country made guns,
gelatin sticks, electric fuse wire, country made bomb, landmines,
CD, radio, medicines, thermometers, Maoist literature, books,
letters, posters, leaflets and other items, the SP said. The Maoists
having links with Maoist leader Sushil had put up the camp to
train their cadre inside the forests of the District, the SP added.
The Maoists have threatened to
kill Sikhya Sahayaks (teaching assistants) in Koraput
District if they are recruited from outside the District. The
warning was inscribed on a banner found on the collectorate premises.
The banner was spotted a day after the Maoists blocked the Sunki-Ampabali
road within Pottangi Police limits in protest against the arrest
of their Maoist leader Chenda Bhushanam alias Ghasi on
April 3.
|
April 11 |
A CPI-Maoist top cadre was arrested
by the Police and SOG troopers at Temurpally under Mathili Police
Station in Malkangiri District. The Maoist cadre, identified as
Pitabas Singh Thakur (32), belongs to Komakolen village in Dantewada
District in Chhattisgarh, was involved in extorting money from
traders of the weekly local market, Mathili Police Station Inspector-in-Charge
Ramakrushna Pati said. Thakur was working under Daraba Dalam
of Chhattisgarh and is a close associate of Surendra, the commandant
of Daraba Dalam, who had allegedly masterminded the killing
of 76th CRPF personnel in Dantewada District on April 6, 2010,
Pati said. Thakur was also involved in blasting of Police outposts
at Mundaguda and Salimi under Mathili Police Station limits in
2009.
|
April 13 |
>The fast-unto-death hunger strike
launched by top Maoist leader Srinivas Sriramalu along with other
220 tribal prisoners in Malkangiri Jail enters the second day,
protesting the failure of the State Government to fulfill all
the 14-conditions as agreed between the Government and Maoist
interlocutors in the release of District Collector R. Vineel Krishna
on February 24. "The inmates refused to call off their strike,
but after much persuasion they took flattened rice. We are trying
to pacify them and hopeful of a solution at the earliest," a jail
official said.
The CPI-Maoist leader Srinivas
Sriramalu called off the hunger strike on the third day, along
with 272 other inmates of Malkangiri sub-jail in the District.
All the 272 inmates, including 31 Maoists, launched the fast on
April 11, in protest against the State Government's alleged failure
in fulfilling the 14 demands laid by the Maoists for the release
of abducted Malkangiri District Collector R Vineel Krishna and
junior engineer Pabitra Majhi. Srinivas and all other inmates
called off their agitation after getting assurance from the administration
that their demand will be intimated to the Government for its
fulfillment at the earliest, jail Superintendent Gopinath Chowdhury
said.
|
April 16 |
One of the Mediator Dandapani
Mohanty during abduction crisis of Malkangiri collector urges
Odisha Government to implement the agreement between the Mediators
and the Government of Odisha in a press conference in Bhubaneswar.
|
April 19 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a
forest guard, identified as Sisir Khosla (46), at Sunanagar Ghati
under Orkel Police Station area in Malkangiri District. Khosla
was working in Balimela forest range.
The Police arrested three Maoists,
including a top Maoist, near Budhakhamari village under Bangriposhi
Police Station in Mayurbhanj District. SP Dayal Gangwar said that
the top Maoist has been identified as Khokan Mahato alias
Khagen (35), a resident of Simili area under Jhargram Police Station
in West Midnapore District in West Bengal. Khagen was an 'area
commander' and more than 30 cases, including murder, abduction
and treason are pending against him in Odisha and West Bengal.
Khagen was also involved in the abducting and killing of a Police
Constable, Sarkar Hembram, at Beliabeda on March 6, the SP said.
The other two arrestees were identified as Naba Mahanta and Jitendra
Mahanta, his accomplices. The Police recovered land mines and
some Maoist literature, Maoist posters from their homes.
|
April 20 |
Sariami Dara alias Santosh
(35), a self-styled 'deputy commandant' of the CPI-Maoist, surrendered
before DIG, south-west range, Soumendra Priyadarshi in Malkangiri
District. According to Malkangiri Police, Santosh was a part of
the AOBSZC of the Maoists. Santosh, hailed from Jileliguda village
under MV-79 Police Station area, and was active in Malkangiri,
Koraput and Rayagada Districts, SP Anirudha Singh said. He had
joined the Maoists around ten years ago and was involved in several
major cases of violence and killings in Odisha and adjoining States.
Santosh was involved in the killing of 38 greyhound troopers of
Andhra Pradesh while they were crossing Balimela reservoir in
Malkangiri District after a combing operation in June 2008. He
was also part of the team of Maoists that triggered the powerful
landmine blast to kill seventeen SOG troopers in an anti-landmine
vehicle near MV126 village in the District in July 2008. He was
also part of Maoist attacks on Koraput town and its District armory
in 2004, attack on Nayagarh town and its armory in 2008, Maoist
attack on Panchpatmali hilltop mines of NALCO at Damanjodi of
Koraput District in 2009.
A meeting was held in the Odisha
Secretariat under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary Bijaya
Kumar Patnaik to review on the progress of the Integrated Action
Plan in 15 Maoist prone Districts. As per the information in the
meeting, out of INR 3.75 billion financial assistance, INR 3.41
billion has already been utilized and the works of 7,587 projects
are in progress. It is expected to take up projects of INR 4.50
billion in the next year. Including Development Commissioner Rabinarayan
Senapati, Secretaries of Water Resources, Rural Development, Special
Secretary of Planning and Coordination Department were present.
It was emphasized to prepare the guide line as per requirement
of the people, and to alternate arrangement if any project not
applicable. After the meeting the Chief Secretary said, the first
phase of INR 4.77 billion will be completed by the month of June.
It is to be mentioned here that the Government has sanctioned
INR 250 million each to 15 District Collectors in the year 2010-11
and has been instructed to utilize by June.
|
April 21 |
The District Police recovered
two landmines with about 50 kilograms of explosive materials planted
by the CPI-Maoist cadres at two different places on the road connecting
Kunduli and Deomali hills in Koraput District. According to DIG
Soumendra Priyadarshi, South West range, these landmines were
planted by the Maoists to block the Police Forces reaching the
mountains last month when they had organised a meeting along with
the CMAS of Narayanpatna. The recovery included 180 gelatine sticks,
four detonators and about 30 metres of wire. Looking at the amount
of explosives recovered, Priyadarshi said that the landmine could
have blown off a heavy vehicle with ease.
The HC in Cuttack District granted
bail to top Maoist leader of Andhra Pradesh Sriramulu Srinivasulu,
who is now lodged in Malkangiri jail for his alleged involvement
in assaulting the State Police. The single judge Bench of Justice
C. R. Dash granted bail to Sriramulu for a bail bond of INR 30,000
and two sureties of like amount. The HC however, has imposed some
strict conditions on the release of the Maoist leader who was
arrested in July 2007 from Bariguda forest in Kalimela area of
Malkangiri District. The HC has asked Sriramulu to leave the State
within 24 hours of his release and shall not enter into the State
unless and until he is summoned by any court.
|
April 23 |
Three CPI-Maoist cadres, including
a 15-year-old boy, involved in offences like attack on SFs and
abduction surrendered before the Police in Jajpur District. The
Maoists were identified as Harish Badra (15), Laba Badra (23)
of Baligotha village in Jajpur and Banamali Jerai (48) of Jamabahali
village in Keonjhar District, Jajpur SP D S Kuttey said.
|
April 24 |
A woman CPI-Maoist cadre identified
as Gajla (20) was killed in an encounter with the SFs in Malkangiri
District. Acting on a tip-off, troopers of the elite anti-Naxal
(LWE) SOG and the DVF arrived at the Tentulipadar village and
raided Nakamamudi forest under Chitrakonda Police limits and were
challenged by the Maoists camped there.
|
April 27 |
The Odisha Government has apparently
taken the decision to resume the operation against the CPI-Maoist
after intelligence inputs revealed that the Maoists were regrouping
and planning for major operations in the State.
A woman commander of the CPI-Maoist,
Koraput division militia group, identified as J .Susheela alias
Pushpa (23), surrendered before DIG southern range, Soumendra
Priyadarshi and in the presence of SP Anup Sahu in Koraput District.
Pushpa hails from a family of
menial labourers at Vanakawadi village under Elvinpeta Police
Station in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. Pushpa joined
the Maoists in 2005 and had married Ghasi in 2010.
|
April 28 |
The CPI-Maoist gave a bandh
call in Malkangiri District alleging non-fulfillment of promises
made by the State Government for the release of Malkangiri Collector
R. Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.
|
April 30 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres are holding
recruitment drive and training camps at Saranda forest situated
along the Jharkhand-Odisha interstate border, the Police said.
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
a contractor identified as Ganesh Khosla, in Bandhugaon block
of Koraput District.
|
May 1 |
A group of the CPI-Maoist cadres
assaulted Penta Majhi (24), son of Ganga Majhi, a village sarpanch
and set him ablaze to death in Kurab village under Kalimela Police
Station area in Malkangiri District. According to the Malkangiri
District Police, the family members of Penta did not initially
lodge the complaint and hence official information about the incident
came out three days later. Investigation revealed, Maoists were
believed to have asked Penta to join their outfit but as he refused,
they set him ablaze.
|
May 2 |
An encounter with the cadres of
the CPI-Maoist took place when a team of about 15 troopers of
IRB was undertaking combing operation at Kalingbadi forest under
Daringbadi Police Station area in Kandhamal District. Two troopers
were killed in the firing of the Maoists, the Police said. As
per the report one dead body was recovered while the other one
is yet to be recovered, the Police added. The personal security
officer of SP Sujit Ray and the body guard of ASP Brijesh Kumar
were injured in the firing of the Maoists.
|
May 3 |
Two persons were arrested and
around 100 packets of detonators recovered from them near the
Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM) at Matikhala in Chamakhandi Police
Station area in Ganjam District.
The Police also arrested one person
identified as Ranjan alias Kalia Parida for reportedly
stocking illegal explosives in his house at Rampai village in
Jajpur District.
|
May 5 |
The Odisha Government has decided
to raise another 50 SOG to combat the CPI-Maoist menace in the
State. State Home Secretary U. N. Behera said, "The State has
already formed 50 SOG units comprising 1,800 jawans. Another
1,800 jawans will be recruited under the SOG units." "We
have plans to recruit another 5,000 constables to fill up the
vacancies. The Government has already given the financial approval,"
Behera added.
Apart from raising the SOG units,
the Government is also planning to set up four counter-insurgency
anti-terrorists (CIT) schools in the State. Behera said the proposed
CIT schools would impart training to the troopers of Odisha Police.
The schools would come up at Chandaka, Rourkela and Koraput. Similarly,
Police training schools would also come up at Bairi and Sambalpur.
The Odisha Government has also decided to urge the Centre to initiate
steps in providing an 18-seater chopper to the State. "We have
started negotiating with the Pawan Hansh. During our proposed
meeting with the cabinet secretary, we have decided to raise this
issue," said a senior officer.
Five battalions of the BSF, seven
battalions of the CRPF, 50 units of the SOG, four battalions of
the IRB and personnel of one CoBRA battalion have been put into
service across the Maoists-infested Districts in the State. While
the BSF has been deployed in Malkangiri and Koraput, CRPF troopers
have been posted in Rayagada, Gajapati, Sundergarh, Kandhamal,
Mayurbhanj, Deogarh and Keonjhar.
The Maoists blew up a panchayat
office with landmines in the District. A group of 50 Maoist cadres
stormed into Niliguda under Padia block, about 35 kilometres
from the District, and triggered IED explosions to blow up the
gram panchayat building, Padia BDO Subhash Singh said.
The ceiling of the two-storied building caved in and the structure
suffered extensive damage in the blast, he said, adding that the
same building had come under attack by Maoists during construction
last year.
Five platoons of Armed Forces
were deployed following a dawn to dusk bandh at Daringbadi
and its adjoining areas in Kandhamal District.
|
May 6 |
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist ransacked
and looted a SPO house and a liquor shop in Malkangiri District.
A large number of Maoists ransacked
the Government liquor shop at Padia, about 65 kilometres from
the District and destroyed the stock at the licensed outlet, Excise
Superintendent Loknath Mandia said.
|
May 8 |
The Odisha Government has drawn
up plans to develop roads with an investment of INR 21 billion
during the fiscal 2011-12.
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist ransacked
and looted the house of a Police Constable Sukra Madhi at Gagrimetla
village in Malkangiri District. According to Malkangiri SP Aniruddha
Singh, Madhi was not posted in the District.
|
May 13 |
A woman CPI-Maoist cadre, identified
as Basanti Badra (19), of village Baligotha under Kalinga Nagar
Police Station surrendered in front of District SP in Jajpur District.
|
May 14 |
SFs and CPI-Maoist cadres engaged
in an encounter in Kalimela area of Malkangiri District.
|
May 16 |
Eleven persons, including a CPI-ML's
Odisha unit secretary Tapan Mishra, arrested in 2009 on the charge
of being CPI-Maoist cadres, were acquitted, by Additional district
and sessions judge Suresh Kumar Patnaik in a local court in Koraput
District. The arrestees were acquitted, for lack of evidence against
them, said advocate Nihar Patnaik. SF personnel of Odisha's elite
SOG, Greyhound of Andhra Pradesh, CRPF and CoBRA personnel had
arrested at least 15 people, including four minors, following
a raid at Jangudibalsa village within Bandhugaon Police Station
limits on November 28, 2009.
|
May 18 |
Two CPI-Maoist cadres, a father-son
duo, reportedly involved in several activities, were arrested
along with huge quantity of Maoist literature from Kandhamal District.
Acting on a tip-off, the Police raided the house of the accused
at Ranabakarada and arrested the duo, identified as Ramesh Nayak
(42) and his son Jitendra, IIC of Raikia Police Station R N Barik
said. Several Maoist literature including posters, leaflets and
pamphlets were recovered from the house during the raid. During
interrogation, both admitted their involvement in an attack on
a forest range office at Barba in Raikia area in February, 2009,
Barik said adding they were also involved in critically injuring
a chowkidar in the area in 2010.
IG of Prisons, Pranabindu Acharya,
said that security of jails in Maoist-prone areas and jails that
house Maoist prisoners would be enhanced. He said 24 jails in
the State had prisoners with Maoist links in them. It had been
planned to enhance their security through deployment of armed
personnel of OSAP and use of closed circuit TV cameras.
|
May 21 |
Cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered
a landmine blast damaging a stretch of railway track at a place
between Renjeda and Roxy in Sundargarh District, the first day
of a two-day bandh called by the Maoists, reports DNA.
The Maoists set afire at least
12 dumpers at Chunaghati on National Highway No. 215 under Koida
Police Station in the District.
Normal life was also affected
in other Districts including Malkangiri, Rayagada, Koraput, Gajapati
and Kandhamal during the bandh as buses stopped plying
and most private vehicles went off the roads in these regions.
|
May 22 |
Suspected CPI-Maoist leaflets
were recovered from Bentkar village under in Bayalish mouza area
in Cuttack District.
|
May 23 |
Nine Policemen, including the
ASP of Gariabandh block in Raipur District, were killed in a landmine
blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist in Sunabeda forest in Nuapada
District. A hunt is on for a missing policeman. Senior Police
officials on May 24 said that a 10-member Police team led by ASP
Rajesh Pawar was sent to Amamora and Sonabed forest following
reports of Maoist movement in the area. When the Police team was
returning in the evening, their vehicle broke down following which
they boarded a tractor. The Maoists then triggered a landmine
blast in which the tractor was blown up. Nine policemen were killed
in the attack, the officials said.
Vehicular traffic grinded to a
halt in several parts of Kandhamal and Gajapati Districts during
the second day of the Maoist-called bandh on May 22.
|
May 24 |
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
said cases against tribals and some others, who had been lodged
in jails on charges of CPI-Maoist activities, would be withdrawn
soon. "Process is on to withdraw cases against the tribals by
June 30," Patnaik said these after a two-hour meeting in the evening
with the mediators R Hargopal and Dandapani Mohantry, who played
a key role in the release of former Malkangiri collector R Vineel
Krishna from Maoist captivity. Revolutionary poet Vara Vara Rao
of Andhra Pradesh was also present in the meeting. Patnaik, however,
said that the Maoists also must stop violence.
|
May 25 |
SF personnel engaged in anti-CPI-Maoist
operation recovered 40 packets of liquid explosives, weighing
240 kilograms from a pit near Pachingi forests in Koraput District.
The explosive were stored there by the Maoists.
|
May 26 |
A woman Maoist identified as Sushama
Majhi alias Shanti (20) was arrested from Dengama forest
near Paniganda in Gajapati District during a combing operation.
Shanti is reportedly close to Maoist leaders Azad and Sabyasachi
Panda. She was involved in six incidents of Maoist violence in
Gajapati and Kandhamal Districts.
|
May 27 |
Admitting his involvement in the
killing of VHP leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, surrendered
CPI-Maoist leader, Dunna Keshav Rao alias Azad said that
the decision to eliminate him was taken by the top leadership
of the CPI-Maoist. "The decision to kill Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati
was taken at a higher level. We only executed it," revealed Azad.
The Maoists killed two persons,
branding them to be Police informers in two separate incidents
in Nuapada District bordering Chhattisgarh. The victims were identified
as Nageswar Majhi (28) of Koten village and Parsuram Majhi (30)
of Jalamibadar village. According to the Police a group of Maoists
reached their village and the victims were dragged out of their
homes. They were assaulted to death in front of villagers who
were forced to gather up and witness the gruesome act. Maoists
also left posters at the spot of killing, in which they have warned
that such killings will continue if SFs did not stop anti-naxal
operations and combing in Maoist-affected areas.
A Maoist cadre, identified as
Lalit Biusika, was arrested by SFs during combing operation in
Chandrapur block of Rayagada District. A country-made gun, Maoist
posters and banners were recovered from him. According to the
Police he was involved in the murder of a head constable of the
CRPF Tek Chand at Hanumanthpur of Chandrapur block on December
30, 2010. A trooper of the OSAP was also injured in the attack.
Lalit was also involved in the attack on the Chandrapur Police
Station.
|
May 29 |
A CPI-Maoist couple who were reportedly
involved the 2008 attack on the Police armoury in Nayagarh, surrendered
before the Police in Puri District. The Maoists, identified as
Anirudh Behera and his wife Rajalaxmi Biswal, surrendered before
Puri SP Sanjay Kumar, saying they decided to leave the outfit
because of harassment by higher-ups in the Maoist hierarchy. Both
admitted that they were involved in several offences, including
the attack on Police establishments and the looting of the armoury
in Nayagarh in 2008, and worked in close association with top
Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, Police sources said.
The State Government claimed that
there has been an immense setback to Maoists in the State. A team
of Maoist sympathizers and interlocutors met with Odisha Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on May 24 to remind the
Odisha Government of the 14 promises they made but did not fulfill,
to secure the release of then kidnapped Malkangiri collector R
V Krishna. The mediators have now set June-end as the new deadline
for the demands to be met. The Chief Minister, for his part, gave
assurances that he will release 168 tribals involved in minor
cases. "It has been a policy in our Government to withdraw minor
cases against the tribals and we will do that again. But I have
made it very clear that there have been several violent incidents
in past three months and the Maoists should stop that immediately,"
said Naveen Patnaik.
|
May 31 |
About 25 to 30 CPI-Maoist cadres
stormed the house of a prospective recruit in Buruda village in
Bhanja Nagar area of Ganjam District and hacked one of his hands
when he had refused to join their ranks.
Five persons, stated to be Maoists,
who had been arrested in connection with the attack of an under
construction power house in Gobindpalli area on February 22, 2009,
were acquitted by a Fast Track court in Malkangiri for lack of
adequate evidence.
|
June 2 |
A court in Odisha handed over
the custody of top CPI-Maoist leader Duna Kesab Rao alias Azad
to the State Police for questioning. Azad, who carried a reward
of INR one million on his head in Andhra Pradesh, had surrendered
before the Police in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Police
had handed over Azad to their Odisha counterparts in the night
of June 1.
A three page letter written in
Telgu language signed by the CPI-Maoist Malkangiri Division 'Secretary'
Poonam Chand stating "We the Maoists are working for the people,
but you are preventing us to reach the people by utilizing the
Police there by foiling our mission," was handed over to Balwant
Singh, District Collector of Malkangiri District by one Village
Level Worker (VLW). The letter addressed to the Collector Balwant
Singh further reads that "we released the then Collector R. Vineel
Krishna in the 'Praja Court' after the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's
assurance to abide by all the demands within 15 days", however
instead of acting on the demands, the State Government is unnecessarily
wasting times. The letter has asked the Collector "Are you mot
aware about the killing of Comrade Gajla alias Ratnalu in Police
encounter on April 24, 2011 at Tentulipadar village despite the
State Governments claims that combing operation has been stopped".
The Maoist letter has also demanded the release of all the tribals
who have been languished in Malkangiri and Koraput jails on the
false cases. The Maoist leader has also said no to operation green
hunt. The Maoist leader has further urged to fulfill all the demands
of the common men and to supply rice to the cut-off region soon.
Any deviation of the warning would have dangerous consequence,
the letter said.
|
June 4 |
The MHA has advised the Sates
affected by the CPI-Maoist including Odisha to refrain from posting
SPO as it is telling upon the efficiency and morale of the regular
Police personnel. The Bureau of Police Research and Development
working under the MHA, after meticulous survey in the Maoist-hit
areas, has recommended to the ministry that the SPO not being
trained are not aware of their legal limits and they often indulge
in acts that tar the reputation of regular Policemen, demoralising
them. It also creates negative impression on the police administration.
The Police also become dependent on them leading to slow-down
in their efficiency. Disapproving the way some states are bent
upon posting increased numbers of SPOs, the Bureau has also recommended
that they immediately refrain from such indiscriminate measures.
|
June 8 |
Odisha and Chhattisgarh Police
have chalked out a strategy to launch a joint operation against
the CPI-Maoist in the interstate border areas. ADG anti-Maoist
operation and IG, Durg range, of Chhattisgarh held wide-ranging
discussions for two days with their Odisha counterparts and other
key officials on the matter in Bhubaneswar a few days ago, said
sources. Both sides agreed on the need for undertaking joint operations
in view of the extremists having opened a new front to cause violence
in areas adjoining both states. "We did not feel this need earlier
as Odisha's border with Chhattisgarh did not witness much Maoist
activities," said a senior Odisha Police official. "So far we
had engaged all our resources in other areas, including Malkangiri
and Rayagada Districts bordering Andhra Pradesh, where the rebels
had been wreaking havoc for years. But now that the Maoists have
started creating trouble on the state's western side, we have
started deploying Central and state forces to contain them. We
have already deployed forces in strategic areas. More deployment
is on the cards," the official said.
The State Government appealed
for the withdrawal of cases against CPI-Maoist leader Ganti Prasad
Rao and four other Maoists by filing two petitions in the SDJM
courts in Koraput and Jeypore.
|
June 9 |
Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
one person, identified as Hrushikesh Pradhan of Sonepur District,
in Redhamal village in Nuapada District suspecting him to be a
Police informer. However, Nuapada SP Rajesh Pandit claimed that
Hrusikesh was with the Maoists for sometime and had left them.
"Hrusikesh went missing on June 6. There is missing report lodged
with Ulunda Police Station. Maoists picked him from his village
on some pretext, brought him to Nuapada and killed him", said
the SP.
Three landmines were recovered
during a combing operation conducted by the Police and the CRPF
in the Saranda forest in Sundargarh District. The landmines, weighing
five kilogram to 10 kilogram, were seized near Raidihi and Nuagaon
in the forest, the Police said.
|
June 13 |
CPI-Maoist cadres killed one person,
identified as Bhima Kabasi (24), in Malkangiri District, suspecting
him to be a Police informer. The bullet-riddled body of Kabasi
was found in a forest near Chintalwada village in the Kalimela
area, ASP U. S. Das said. Kabasi and three others had been abducted
from nearby Pitakonda village to an unknown place by armed Maoists
in the night of June 11, he said. Three of them were set free
on June 12, while Kabasi's body was found this morning (June 13).
"The district is such that the police and the BSF, camping there
for the anti-Maoist operation, cannot move without help of the
informers. The policemen have been trying their best to protect
the informers but the Maoists appear to be outsmarting them,"
said an officer.
A 16-year-old Maoist cadre, identified
as Laxman Hansa, surrendered before the Police in Jajpur District.
"Laxman Hansa of Baligotha village near Kalinga Nagar was active
in Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and other areas since 2009. We
suspect their involvement in a number of violent incidents," SP,
Jajpur Deepak Kumar, said. Hansa along with other Maoists were
Involved in planting of IED at Raighati in the Tomka Police Station
area in the District in 2010. He along with other Maoists had
also killed Tuna Behera and Kailas Mahanta at Palaspalli under
Daitari Police Station in June 2010. Last year (2010), they also
attacked Daitari Police Station and looted explosives from Talangi
mines in December, 2010, said the Police Officer.
|
June 21 |
A woman cadre of the CPI-Maoist
was killed during a gunbattle between the Police and the Maoists
in Banjipali area on the foothills of Gandhamardan forests in
Bolangir District, Police said. Personnel of elite anti-Maoist
SOG were conducting combing operation in Bajipali forests under
Khaparakhol police station when they were fired upon by the Maoists
which led to the gun battle.
At least seven under trials escaped
from a juvenile home at the Panposh area in Rourkela in Sundargarh
District, police said. The inmates broke open the window and jumped
out of the boundary wall of the home. All seven prisoners had
been booked in Maoist related and armed act cases.
The district court of Koraput
allowed the State Government to withdraw the cases against four
Maoists, including top Maoist Ramakrishna's wife Kandula Sirisa
alias Padma. The other three persons are Rosa Mandangi,
Iswari and Gukul Kuldipia. "On direction of the state's Home department
we had filed applications for withdrawal of cases against the
Maoist quartet and the court has approved it," said public prosecutor
Arun Kumar Padhi.
|
June 22 |
A cache of grenades and ammunition,
pipes and wires have been recovered from a dense forest in Rayagada
District. Altogether 64 rounds of 8 mm pistols, 56 grenades, 119
pipes and 5 metres of fuse wire, were recovered buried under the
earth, at Raibiji forest in the Chandrapur Police Station limits,
DIG, South-West Range, Soumendra Priyadarshi said. The arms were
hidden by the CPI-Maoist cadres for future use, the DIG said.
A Maoist 'area commander' was
arrested from near Saranda forest in Sundargarh District. The
Police recovered an automatic 9 mm pistol, five live cartridges,
posters, Maoist literatures and leaflets from Kunduru Luhar alias
Golapa (25) of Bisra area, Rourkela SP Himanshu Lal said. Kunduru
was the 'area commander' of the outfit at Digha area after death
of Maoist commander Md Muslim, the SP said.
|
June 23 |
In a bid to respect the agreement
between the interlocutor's from the CPI-Maoist side and State
Government, Odisha Government decided to release another 153 persons
languishing in various jails across the State. "We have taken
a decision to withdraw cases against 153 tribals. Necessary instructions
have already been issued to concerned government advocates. The
process will be complete by the end of June", said Odisha Chief
Secretary B.K Patnaik at Bhubaneswar.
|
June 25 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres killed a
person by slitting his throat at a 'kangaroo court' in Koraput
District, holding him guilty of passing on information to the
Police. The body of the victim named Sapaura Sirika, who had been
missing from his village since June 24, was found in a pool of
blood at Kalam-Jhadipada chowk, about 90 kilometres from the District.
Quoting a letter purportedly written by Maoists and found from
the spot by villagers, Police said the Maoists claimed to have
punished him at a 'Kangaroo court' as he was a Police informer.
Sirika was also held responsible for a Police-Maoist encounter
that took place in a dense forest in Narayanpatna area last year
[2010].
Four CPI-Maoist cadres including
two women cadres surrendered in front of SP Deepak Kumar in Jajpur
District. All the surrendered Maoists have been identified as
Suru alias Usha Palea (20), Laxmi alias Sambari
Hessa (20) Bikram alias Jaysingh Gagarai (20) and Ramesh
Gagarai (18) of Baligotha village under Kalinga Nagar Police Station
of Jajpur District, the SP said.
|
June 28 |
The CPI-Maoist alleged that the
Odisha Government and the Centre had violated norms of the Union
Environment ministry for the Posco project and expressed solidarity
with those agitating against it. "Fact finding by the Saxena committee
and the Meena Gupta committee has proved the existence of forest
rights. But the FRA (Forest Rights Act) is not implemented by
the state government in the area," a press release by Maoists
national spokesperson Abhay, on behalf of its Central Committee
said. "CPI (Maoist) hails the people of Orissa who are determined
to stop the much-touted 52,000 crore 'biggest foreign direct investment'
in India and declares its full support and solidarity for them,"
it said.
The Maoists gave a call for Odisha
bandh on June 30 over what it calls the forcible land acquisition
and a host of other issues.
|
June 30 |
Intelligence reports speak of
a possibility of CPI-Maoist cadres establishing Orissa-Chhattisgarh
corridor. Raigarh SP, Rahul Sharma, said, "The Maoists are trying
to set up a corridor to move freely between Bastar [South Chhattisgarh]
and the Districts of Raigarh and Mahasamund via Bargarh in Orissa.
However, better connectivity, roads and infrastructure in Raigarh
[compared to Bastar] will make it difficult to expand [Maoist]
operations here." He said the Maoists had been working on the
"corridor" for some time now.
Sources said the Maoists had recently
formed a Bargarh-Mahasamund Divisional Committee that reports
to the larger DKSZC. With operations in Chhattisgarh's five Southern
Districts and parts of the Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra,
the DKSZC is one of the most active Maoist divisions.
State Police interrogated top
CPI-Maoist leader Bhagat, who surrendered before Andhra Pradesh
Police on February 16.
A bandh called by Maoists
in the State against land acquisition for Posco steel project
evoked lukewarm response as normal life was affected to some extent
only in southern region.
|
July 1 |
A 'deputy commander' of the CPI-Maoist,
identified as Sunil, was killed in a gunfight with Security Forces
near Pandapada village in Keonjhar District. Sunil was the second
in command of the Kalinga Nagar division of the CPI-Maoist. A
revolver, a locally made gun, some detonators and other camp articles
were seized from the site. No causality or injury has been reported
from the Police side.
Koraput District judge Ajit Kumar
Patnaik freed Maoist leader Ganti Prasad Rao alias Prasadam
accepting State Government's plea for withdrawal of case against
him as promised for securing the release of former Malkangiri
District Collector who was abducted in February 2011.
Several leaders of the AOBSZC
of CPI-Maoist are planning to surrender, according to former Maoist
leader K. Balaraju alias Bhagat in Malkangiri.
|
July 4 |
Cadres of the CPI-Maoist trigged
two IEDs blowing up railway tracks between Rengada and Roxy stations
of Sundargarh District during a 24-hour bandh observed
by them.
Two Maoists were arrested and
a huge quantity of explosives and weapons seized from them from
a forest in Keonjhar District.
A woman 'deputy commander', Arati
Patra alias Rita (20), of the CPI-Maoist surrendered before
the Police in Gajapati District.
Maoists set ablaze a porcelain
machine used in canal construction work in Malkangiri District.
Three Maoists reportedly involved
in the killing of SF personnel and many crimes were arrested from
Jajpur and Keonjhar District.
A local court allowed Odisha Government
to withdraw at least three cases against 42 activists of Maoist-backed
CMAS, including its president Nachika Linga.
|
July 5 |
Two SF Personnel were injured
when three landmines planted by CPI-Maoist cadres exploded during
a combing operation in Sonepur Ghati forest of Daringbadi area
in Kandhamal District. Two claymore mines were also recovered
from the site.
CPI-Maoist cadres abducted five
villagers, including one former Maoist, who was about to surrender
before the Police from Potteru village under Kalimela block
of Motu Police limits in Malkangiri District.
Another group of armed Maoist
cadres assembled in the village, simultaneously carried out an
hour long operation by looting the houses and decamped with valuables
and household items, of SPO Rama Chandra Madkami, who is now undergoing
training in Angul, and two other village headmen, Madkami Masa
and Madkami Rama of the village in the District.
|
July 7 |
Four persons were killed by the
CPI-Maoist cadres in two separate incidents in Rayagada and Koraput
Districts. Kailash Majhi, of Godibali village, and Shashi Majhi,
of Dhobasil village, of Godibali Panchayat of Kashipur
Block in Rayagada District were shot dead by around 50 armed Maoists
of the Kashipur-Niyamgiri Area Committee, reportedly for being
Police informers.
The Maoists killed Balaji Takri,
a constable of Machkund Police Station and Binod Khemundu, a Home
Guard, both residents of Koraput Town, while they were on their
way back from Anakadeli weekly market to Machkund.
|
July 8 |
CPI-Maoist cadres killed one person,
identified as Bandami Suba, a former Maoist cadre planning to
surrender before the Police in Malkangiri District.
Suba was among five persons abducted
at gun point by the Maoists from Potteru village in the MV-79
Police Station limits in the night of July 5. Maoists released
three of the abducted persons on July 7. However, the Police are
yet to ascertain about the fate of Suresh Bandami, a contractor,
who was also abducted by the Maoists.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
condemned the incident in Bhubaneswar and said that stringent
action would be taken against the culprits involved in the "terrible"
crimes.
The Komna Police arrested a teacher,
identified as Kaliram Suar (22), of Sunabeda village under Sunabeda
panchayat for suspected link with the CPI-Maoist cadres
in Nuapada District. Suar was working as a contractual teacher
engaged by Chakutia Bhunjia Development Agency (CBDA) since 2008
in Salepada TRW Girl's Middle English School in Sunabeda panchayat.
|
July 9 |
Traffic was hit between Odisha
and Andhra Pradesh for a road blockade put up by CPI-Maoist at
Almonda within Bandhugaon Police limits in Koraput District.
Five Police Home Guards submitted
their resignations fearing attack by CPI-Maoist in the District.
State Chief Secretary, Bijay Patnaik
said the SPO issue would be examined in the backdrop of the judgment.
A State Government official pointed
out the Government not only issued advertisements for the recruitment
of SPOs, but in order to give a chance to local tribals to get
jobs in their own areas, changed the guidelines for recruitment
of Security Forces, reducing the minimum qualification to 8th
standard and the standard height from 163 cm to 160 cm.
|
July 10 |
Separately, the State Government
has decided to include all the blocks in the National Rural Livelihood
Mission (NRLM) by the end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan. The decision
was taken at a meeting presided over by CM Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar
on July 8.
The CM also reviewed the implementation
of the Targeted Rural Initiatives for Poverty Termination (TRIPTI)
scheme.
The Berhampur Police recovered
a 9 mm pistol from one Sunil Pradhan (32) of Kumbharbadi in Daringibadi
Police Station in Kandhamal District, reported to be earlier looted
by Maoists from Ranjan Mallick, the then inspector in-charge of
R Udayagiri Police Station in Gajapati District in 2006.
The Police arrested two persons,
identified as Udhab Mallick and Kandura Pradhan, for having links
with the Maoists in Kandhamal District.
Odisha Government said new strategy
will be chalked out soon to counter the Maoists.
|
July 11 |
Dhirendra Pallai, acting president
of UAC, a pro-Posco organization, lodged a FIR with Kujang Police
Station in Jagatsinghpur District on receiving threat letters
from the CPI-Maoist.
Traffic between Odisha and the
border town of Parvathipuram in Andhra Pradesh remained stalled
for the third day due to a Maoist road blockade near Almonda in
Bandhugaon block.
CPI-Maoist cadres issued threat
letters and threats over telephone to two businessmen of Lahunipada
and Koida in Sundargarh District.
Posters were recovered from road-side
trees of National Highway 215 and in Jamdih, Renjeda, Toda villages
under K Balang and Koida Police limits of the District.
|
July 12 |
Suba Bandami, who was abducted
by the CPI-Maoist cadres along with five others from Potteru village
under Malkangiri village (MV)-79 Police limits on July 5, was
set free near a forest, some 20 kilometres from Potteru village
in Malkangiri District.
Rabi Jani, a Home Guard of Macchkund
Police Station in the District resigned from his post fearing
Maoist attack, taking the number of resigned Home Guard to six.
Police said after the resignation of Jani, the Macchkund Police
Station is without any Home Guard.
|
July 15 |
Thirty-one members of CPI-Maoist-backed
CMAS of Narayanpatna in Koraput District were acquitted in a case
by the Fast Track Court of Jeypore. They were acquitted due to
lack of evidence against them. They were alleged to have got involved
in arson and rioting at Podapodar in 2009.
|
July 16 |
The SOG and DVF jointly raided
a village and arrested a Maoist, identified as Gangadhar Madhi
(19), from the Idikonda forest area under Motu Police limits in
Malkangiri District.
|
July 17 |
SF personnel recovered a dump
consisting of three landmines, three claymore mines and a huge
quantity of gelatine sticks during anti-Naxalite combing operation
in Narayanpatna area of Koraput District.
The Police officials arrested
a cadre of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Kanhu Besra (24), from
Barabati bazaar on national highway no-5 at Dharmasala in Jajpur
District.
|
July 19 |
Three Maoist cadres, identified
as Lengara Tiria alias Ramesh (18) Bela Purty alias
Sunita (19) and Ladar Jamuda (20) of Baragotha village surrendered
before the DIG (Western range) Y Jethwa and SP Ashish Kumar Singh
in Keonjhar District.
|
July 21 |
The Police arrested three cadres
of the CPI-Maoist in Ghumusara division in Ganjam District.
SP, Ganjam, Rajesh Pandit said
the trio also disclosed that Sabyasachi Panda alias Sunil,
in charge of the Maoist organization in Odisha, was demoted recently
because of allegations of sexual exploitation of female cadres
against him.
Two women Maoist cadres, identified
as Martha Majhi alias Minita (20) and Merry Majhi alias
Kabita (18) of the Bansadhara divisional committee of the Maoists,
surrendered before the Police in Gajapati District.
Security was tightened in Maoist
infested areas of Odisha as Maoists martyrs' week begins from
July 28 to August 3.
|
July 23 |
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
a civilian in Narayanpatna area of Koraput District, suspecting
him to be a Police informer.
The Police arrested sarpanch,
Pradip Mallick of Hatimunda gram panchayat in Daringbadi
block in Kandhamal District, on the charge of being a courier
for the Maoists from Shanti Nagar area in Ganjam District.
CPI-Maoist cadres killed a tribal
youth in Narayanpatna block of Koraput District, suspecting him
to be a Police informer.
A CPI-Maoist cadre, identified
as Fakira Kiritinga (35), was arrested in Chandrapur area of Rayagada
District. He was involved in several crimes including two murders
and blasting of mobile towers, Police said.
A woman Maoist, identified as
Jayanti Mahanta of Galada village under Telkoi block of Keonjhar
District, surrendered before the Police in the District accusing
her seniors of physical torture. While surrendering, she told
reporters that she was imparted training in handling firearms,
bombs and other explosives in Andhra Pradesh. She was involved
in a number of offences, including attack on Similipal forest
beat house in Mayurbhanj District, Police said.
The State Government decided to
hand over building of a bridge to a State owned construction company
after being unable to find a contractor in Maoist-hit Malkangiri
District. The State Government had floated seven tenders for the
900 meter bridge at Gurupriya but contractors did not respond
out of fear of Maoists, Works Secretary S. K. Ray said.
|
July 24 |
The Police arrested four alleged
Maoists, including two women, near Paikmal at Amarpali on State
Highway-3 in Bargarh District.
|
July 26 |
The State Government has sought
the cooperation of the Centre to enhance the manpower in Odisha's
General Railway Police (GRP) wing.
|
July 27 |
Maoists killed two persons in
Niyamgiri hill area of the State. One killing occurred in Muniguda
Police Station area of Rayagada District, while the other person
was killed in Lanjigarh area of adjoining Kalahandi District.
According to sources, Maoists termed both of them agents of Police
and Vedanta Alumina Limited (VAL). The victim in Rayagada district
was Dadhi Sikaka, a youth from Ambadhuni village. Maoists abducted
him and his brother Lakshman Sikaka. Lakshman was ruthlessly beaten
up and released. Body of the other victim Ajit Patnaik was found
in a pool of blood near Ijirupa jungle on the Niyamgiri foothill
in Kalahandi District.
The Maoist leadership has sent
some key leaders to Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) from Chhattisgarh
to strengthen the party and lift the morale of the cadres in AOB.
Gajarla Ashok alias Ranganna alias Janardhan alias
Aitu was assigned with the crucial responsibility of revival of
the party in AOB by the central leadership. In-charge of South
Bastar division in Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC),
Aitu is a master strategist in military warfare.
About 25 kilograms of explosives
planted by Maoists was recovered at Laxmipur in Koraput District
by SFs. The recovery was made ahead of the 'martyrs' week' planned
by the Maoists from July 28.
|
July 28 |
The Supreme Court order on appointment
of SPOs in neighbouring Chhattisgarh was being examined by the
State Government which would give regular appointment to them.
"The court order may not be applicable for the state. The method
of recruitment and engagement of SPOs in Orissa is totally different
from Chhattisgarh," Chief Secretary B. K. Patnaik said. SPOs appointed
in tribal-dominated districts in Orissa did not directly confront
Maoists and would be taken as regular constables after completion
of a three-year tenure, he said. The youths appointed as SPO'
s in tribal areas received an opportunity to remain in mainstream
instead of joining the Maoist brigade, he said. As many as 4,500
youths have so far been appointed as SPO' s in the State and the
Government was not averse to recruit more, a home department official
said.
|
July 29 |
The State Government decided to
strengthen the elite anti-Naxal force, the SOG, by raising another
35 units and a CISF-like force, besides filling vacant posts of
officers. This was decided at a meeting of the home department
chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, official sources said.
"Besides strengthening SOG, we have also sought more jawans [troopers]
from the central para-military force (CPMF)," Home Secretary U
N Behera told reporters after the meeting. SOG now has 50 units
and another 35 units would be added to increase its strength,
he said. The State Government also decided to raise a special
State Industrial Security Force along the lines of CISF. "The
crime branch of police, which had been dealing with important
crimes, would now have an economic offence wing," he said. Besides,
788 vacant posts of Police officers and about 5,200 posts of constables
would be filled this year. Behera said the Government has also
decided to regularize the service of the Special Police Officers
(SPOs) who have completed three years in service. At least 12
battalions of CPMF are now deployed in the State while two more
battalions could arrive here soon, the sources said.
|
July 31 |
Maoists beheaded a man in Brahmanigaon
area of Kandhamal District. The headless body was found near Saragudi
village, which was identified by the villagers as Dakasa Majhi
of the same village.
About 100 Maoists attacked and
ransacked a Government approved foreign liquor shop at Padia village
under Kalimela Police Station in Malkangiri District. This was
the fourth attack by the Maoists on the same shop. After damaging
the shop and stock, the Maoists targeted and ransacked the house
of a villager who was selling foreign liquor illegally.
|
August 1 |
Financial assistance of INR 10,000
was provided to surrendered woman Maoist Susila Jilakara alias
Puspa in Koraput under Government's surrender policy meant for
the Maoists in the State. Puspa, wife of top Maoist leader Chandra
Bhusanam alias Ghasi, had laid down arms before Koraput
Police on April 26. Ghasi had been arrested on April 6. The Andhra
Pradesh Government had announced a cash award of INR one million
and INR 200,000 on Ghasi and Puspa respectively.
The Maoist leadership has been
expanding the DKSZC's role to AOB zone. If sources are to be believed,
the Maoist central leadership brought a new division in AOB, which
was formed a year ago, under the ambit of DKSZC. With the entry
of Bonda Gupteswar or Bonda Ghati group, DKSZC has at present
10 divisions. The sources said Maoists are adopting new strategies
and restructuring organisational ranks in AOB to gain an upper
hand in their fight against security forces.
|
August 3 |
This year, during the 'martyr's
week (July 28 - August 3), the CPI-Maoist reportedly showed video
programme to tribal villagers highlighting 'heroic' deeds of cadres
who lost their lives fighting the Police. In some villages, the
Maoists used projectors and mega screens to show video recordings
of important Maoist incidents. If sources are to be believed,
some leaders of central committee of Andhra-Orissa Border Special
Zonal Committee of the outfit are overseeing the whole arrangements.
The Maoists have reportedly inducted more than 500 tribals into
their fold during the week that saw vehicular traffic between
Malkangiri and Jeypore being hit. Sources said in order to avoid
being intercepted by police and intelligence agencies, Maoist
cadres have begun communicating with high frequency (HF) radio
waves which the security forces are finding hard to 'tap'.
The Centre asked Odisha if it
was promulgating an ordinance on the lines of Chhattisgarh to
make SPOs part of the State Police force.
|
August 4 |
Maoists killed two persons in
Jubaguda village under Kotagada Police Station in Kandhamal District,
suspecting them to be Police informers. The victims have been
identified as Peter Mallick (38) and Sitaram Uthansingh. While
the body of Peter was found with his throat slit, that of Sitaram
had gunshot.
|
August 7 |
The MHA provided one MI-172 helicopter
to the State to help it in its fight against the CPI-Maoist. The
helicopter is to be stationed in Koraput.
|
August 8 |
Five cadres of the CPI-Maoist,
including two women, were arrested by SFs from Madikeda village
under Kotagad Police Station limits in Kandhamal District. According
to Kandhamal SP Jayanarayan Pankaj, the arrested persons were
involved in the murder of Sitaram Uthansingh and Peter Sunamajhi
at Jubaguda village on August 4. They were tracked down as per
the statement of an eyewitness of the murders. The arrested persons
were identified as Tripati Kapat Majhi (23), Andrew Mallik (24),
Sebastian Mallik (45) and two women Radhika Mallik (19) and Lurdu
Patamajhi (19). SFs seized a large amount of explosive material,
battery and wire used to detonate landmines, Maoist banners and
posters from their possession.
|
August 9 |
The State Government sounded alert
in all Districts with special instruction to those Maoist-hit
ones, as the CPI-Maoist preparing to observe Kranti Diwas,
to avert any law and order problem, official sources said.
SFs arrested two persons identified
as, Herat Digal and Sudhansu Sekhar Nayak, at Gracingia village
under G.Udaygiri Police Station for alleged links with the Maoists.
One pistol, one revolver, six cartridges, and four live bombs
were among the items seized from their possession. One Maoist
uniform was also seized from them. Pankaj said investigation was
on to ascertain the activities of these two arrested persons.
The Bandhugaon-faction of the
CMAS organised rally and public meeting in Koraput District against
Maoist violence. It was commemoration of the first death anniversary
of tribal leader Kenduka Arjun, who was murdered by Maoists on
Aug 10, 2010 at Katulpeta in Bandhugaon block.
|
August 10 |
Three CPI-Maoist cadres - a father
and his two daughters - surrendered before Police in Rayagada
District. They were identified as Mina Palaka and his daughters
- Laxmi Palaka (18) and Saraswati Palaka (16), residents of Kalipeta
village under Chandrapur block of the District. Mina was an 'area
commander' of Bansadhara division of the CPI-Maoist. Mina was
a close associate of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda. He also used
to work with Maoist leader Azad alias Dona Keshava Rao.
Mina and his daughters were involved in several cases in Rayagada
and Kandhamal Districts.
Chief Secretary B. K. Patnaik
said that SPOs appointed in the State would be recruited as Police
constables after completing three years of service, for which
amendments in recruitment rules would be made. The State Government
had initially appointed tribal youths as SPOs to give them an
opportunity to remain in the mainstream instead of joining the
Maoist brigade, he said. Altogether 4,500 youths have so far been
appointed as SPOs in the State and the Government was not averse
to recruiting more under the scheme, he added.
|
August 11 |
A CPI-Maoist cadre, identified
as Tuna Pradhan, was arrested and forwarded to court by the personnel
of G. Udayagiri Police Station in Kandhamal District. He is a
resident of Sakdai village in the limits of the Police Station.
Interrogation revealed that he was trained in arms use by Maoists
in 2009. The arrested Maoist was involved in bomb making, recruitment
of gullible youths and provision of logistics to the Maoists,
claimed Police.
The Police arrested a senior CPI-Maoist
'commander', along with two of his colleagues from the steel city
of Rourkela. The Maoist 'commander' was identified as Prashant
alias Shiva Munda alias Lambu, the second top man
in the Maoist hierarchy controlling Saranda forest. The trio was
trying to board a bus to Bhubaneswar near Hanuman Vatika in the
city when the Police team intercepted them. Police recovered INR
7.6 million in cash and a gun from them.
|
August 14 |
A group of armed cadres of the
CPI-Maoist shot dead a leader of the BJD, identified as Kishore
Panda of Telenpali village, in Khaparakhol area of Bolangir District.
According to Police, the Maoists arrived at Panda's house at around
9:00 pm and asked him to accompany them. Later, they shot him
dead and dumped the body on the spot at one end of the village.
SFs and Maoists exchanged fire
in Singabaram forest under Kelimela Police Station in Malkangiri
District and Police claimed that some of the Maoists had sustained
injuries. The encounter ensued when SOG and DVF jointly conducted
raid in the area following a tip-off about the presence of a large
number of Maoists.
Seeking concrete steps to properly
implement various welfare schemes in villages, Union Rural Development
Minister Jairam Ramesh said the Maoist menace can be fought with
rural development. "Rural development is the answer to fight Naxalism.
It will improve the living standard of the people living in villages,"
Ramesh told reporters during a visit to the tribal-dominated and
Maoist-hit Kandhamal District. Earlier Ramesh said the problem
of LWE in Odisha is not as bad as in Chhattisgarh. Odisha is at
the borderline, Ramesh said, adding that the situation can be
salvaged if there is sensitive and effective administration in
the State.
|
August 15 |
Cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered
a claymore mine blast at Jogipallur, eight kilometres from Narayanpatna
block in Koraput District, as a team of BSF and SOG Police was
about to clear a road that was cut off few days earlier. However,
none of the SF personnel were injured.
SFs and the Maoists exchanged
fire for more than one hour at Sapamunda in Bolangir District.
Unconfirmed sources said at least two Maoists were killed and
several others were injured in the exchange of bullets. SFs confronted
with dozens of Maoists at Sapamunda, a fringe area of Sunabeda
Sanctuary, while they were conducting search operation following
the killing of a Biju Janata Dal Leader Raj Kishore Panda in the
evening of August 14.
Maoists unfurled black flags in
Koraput and Malkangiri Districts. Black flags and posters were
found in Ramgiri, Lamtaput and Baipariguda areas of Naxal-hit
Koraput District and Kalimela area of Malkangiri District. Road
communication between Berhampur in Ganjam District and Daringibadi
in Kandhamal District were disrupted due to road blockade set
up by the Maoists in at least three places. The road blockades
were put by felling trees at Kalama, Sarapanka and Dhaugaon villages
under Sorada block by logs.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
called upon the Maoists to shun violence and join the mainstream.
"We believe in peace. Peace is necessary for development. Development
cannot be achieved through violence," Patnaik said after unfurling
national flag on the 65th Independence Day in State capital Bhubaneswar.
"I appeal to the left-wing extremists to shun violence and join
the mainstream," Patnaik said. He also highlighted various programmes
his Government has initiated for the overall development of the
State.
|
August 17 |
Twenty-five members of the CPI-Maoist-backed
CMAS were acquitted by Additional District Judge court of Jeypore
in Koraput District, in the case of a murder that occurred in
2008. It was alleged that Maoists along with CMAS activists were
behind the murder. But the prosecution could not furnish evidences
against the accused persons and all of them got acquitted due
to lack of evidence against them.
|
August 18 |
The State has decided to up the
ante against the CPI-Maoist with intensified combing throughout
the State. Sources said the Government had stepped up its anti-Maoist
drive after the arrest of three Maoists, including a top-level
'commander', from Rourkela on August 11 as they were trying to
flee the stepped up combing in Saranda forests on the Odisha-Jharkhand
border.
Two CPI-Maoist cadres and two
sympathizers were arrested from Daringibadi area in Kandhamal
District. They were identified as Kapil Pradhan, Prakash Pradhan,
Jitendra Pradhan and Dharmendra Pradhan. Police have seized INR
100,000 in cash, leaflets and posters relating to Maoists from
them.
|
August 19 |
K V Singhdeo, the sitting MLA
of Patnagarh constituency, is under threat from the CPI-Maoist.
The former minister in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
on July 30 wrote that he received a telephone call from one Pratap
Reddy, identifying himself as a Maoist leader. The caller said
he was camping at Sanjabanjipali and wanted "food grain and money".
"I was also informed that my life is under threat. I immediately
reported the details of this call to Patnagarh police," Singhdeo
said in his letter.
|
August 21 |
The District is on high alert
amidst reports of hundreds of Maoists having entered the District
from the neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
|
August 23 |
Some CPI-Maoist leaders from Bihar
have made inroads into Kandhamal District of Odisha with some
suspected nefarious intentions. Interrogation of four Maoists
arrested in Kandhamal District has revealed this, Police said.
According to Kandhamal SP Jayanarayan Pankaj it has been found
that a senior Maoist cadre from Bihar named Rahim along with his
wife has entered the District.
|
August 24 |
An exchange of fire occurred between
SFs and the CPI-Maoist cadres following intelligence inputs that
a group of Maoists have assembled at Kanchanpadu forests in Narayanpatna
block of Koraput District. SFs neutralised a major transit camp
of Maoists hidden inside the forest between Kanchanpadu and Rangampadu
on Narayanpatna-Bandhugaon road. According to Koraput SP Anup
Sahu, the exchange of fire occurred during a joint combing operation
by the personnel of BSF and State Police. However, there was no
casualty or injury on either side, the Police said. One Self Loading
Rifle (SLR), one 9 mm gun, ammunition including magazine of light
machine gun, 15 kit bags of ultras, Maoist literature, and medicines
were recovered by the Police. It was suspected that around 60
cadres were camping in the Maoist camp.
|
August 27 |
Narayanpatna area in Koraput District
is slowly getting out of clutches of the CPI-Maoist, feel the
Police officials monitoring security in the area. One of the major
hints is that the supporters of the Maoist-backed CMAS who are
getting acquitted in cases pending against them are no more showing
interest to be part of violent activities of the CMAS at the instigation
of Maoists, said a senior Police official. Further, attendance
in CMAS rallies is constantly decreasing, claimed the official.
Two CPI-Maoist cadres, including
a teenage girl surrendered before Police in Jajpur District. Tukuna
Badara alias Rakesh (20) and Suturi Jamuda alias
Madhuri (15) surrendered without arms, SP Deepak Kumar said. The
duo was active in Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar Districts since
2009. They were also suspected of being involved in a blast at
Dozer Padia under Kalinga Nagar area in 2010, he said.
|
August 30 |
The killing of Raj Kishore Panda,
local BJD leader by CPI-Maoist cadres at Telenpali in Bolangir
District on August 14 slowed down developmental work in the area
as panicked villagers were not venturing out.
Two teenaged women CPI-Maoist
cadres, identified as Jamba Nachika alias Rina (18) and
Tarai Mandingi (16), from Narayanpatna block of Koraput District
surrendered before DIG of Police, south-west range, Soumendra
Priyadarshi in Koraput District.
|
September 2 |
Five CPI-Maoist cadres including
three from neighbouring Jharkhand surrendered before Police with
arms and ammunition at Rourkela in Sundargarh District.
|
September 3 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres killed Purna
Chandra Dalai (52), a local BJP leader, also a contractor by profession,
whom they suspected of being a Police informer, in Malkangiri
District.
Maoist commander of Udanti-Raighar-Sinapali
border area committee, operating in Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,
Laxmidhar Nayak alias Gundadhul surrendered before the
SP Niti Sekhar in Nabarangpur District.
|
September 7 |
The success of the
intensified anti-CPI-Maoist drive in the Saranda forests in Jharkhand
bordering Odisha has prompted the State Government to plan similar
operations at other Maoist bastions in the State.
|
September 9 |
Suspecting them to
be Police informers, CPI-Maoist cadres killed two persons, including
a contractor by slitting their throats in Narayanpatna block of
Koraput District.
|
September 19 |
About 15 to 20 CPI-Maoist cadres
dragged Narayana Duan (33), a forest guard, from Jaipur village
and killed him in a nearby area, located in the foothills of Gandhamardan
hill under Boden Police Station in Bargarh District.
The Grey Hounds of Andhra Pradesh
and Special Operations Group of Odisha exchanged fire with Maoist
cadres in the remote forest area of Musilimunda of Narayanpatna
block in Koraput District.
|
September 21 |
Odisha Special Police recovered
landmines and kit bags belonging to the CPI-Maoist in the Narayanpatna
block in Koraput District.
|
September 23 |
An exchange of fire took place
between the SFs and CPI-Maoist cadres near Kerubadi in Daringbadi
block of Kandhamal District when the SFs raided a Maoist training
camp inside the forests near Kerubadi.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment
has approved the State Government's plan for establishment of
five ITIs and ten SDCs in five LWE-affected Districts of the State.
The Districts are Gajapati, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Deogarh and
Sambalpur.
|
September 24 |
Suspected cadres of the CPI-Maoist
killed Jagabandhu Majhi (39), a BJD MLA representing Umerkote
assembly constituency and his PSO Prasanta Kumar Patra (25) at
Gonahatapadar village under Raighar Police Station in Nabarangpur
District.
|
September 25 |
A cadre of the CPI-Maoist identified
as Rama Mahanta alias Dadhi Mahanta was arrested from Jarbera
village at Bisra in Sundargarh District. A pistol and some bullets
were recovered from his possession. According to the Police, Mahanta
was involved in the killing of surrendered Maoist, Kandari Lohra
alias Madhuri and her four-year-old son in February 2011. Mahanta
was acting as 'area Commander' in Digha and Bhalulata areas and
he has five cases pending at the bordering Bisra and Bandamunda
Police Station in Sundargarh District.
|
September 27 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres killed
one person identified as Mishra Khosla (35) on the suspicion of
being a Police informer in Narayanpatna block of Koraput District.
The body of Khosla was lying near Mankidi in the Narayanpatna
Police Station area with his throat slit. The Maoists also set
ablaze two vehicles managed by Khosla. Police recovered a letter
written by Maoist leader Daya in Telugu near the body stating
"Khosla was supplying information against Maoists to police. Anyone
who helps police will meet a similar fate."
|
September 30 |
Two CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested
during a combing operation in Rayagada District. The arrested
cadres were identified as Rabi Majhi and Das Majhi of Godibali
village within Kashipur block. "We were tipped-off about the presence
of two Maoists at their homes and decided to nab them. There was
no exchange of fire and no arms have been recovered from the arrested
extremists," ASP Prasant Kumar Bhoi said. The arrestees were part
of the newly-created Kashipur dalam of the CPI-Maoist and
were involved in a series of Maoist offensives. "They had joined
the Maoists few years ago and were armed cadres. They used to
organize meetings and provide logistics support to the extremists,
apart from taking part in Maoist offensives," the ASP added.
|
October 5 |
The CPI-Maoist is on a recruitment
spree in Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur Districts.
The recruitment drive comes in the wake of a series of reverses
the Maoist have suffered in the last few months leading to depletion
of their cadre strength.
|
October 9 |
SFs comprising CRPF and elite
anti-Naxal SOG personnel neutralised a CPI-Maoist camp near Gaigot-Kuleijharan
hills, under Kisinda Police limits, in Sambalpur District, following
a fierce gun battle with the Maoists.
The Police arrested two supporters
of Maoists identified as Nirakant Pradhan of Kerubadi village
and Varsu Mallick of Gahedu village in Daringibadi area in Kandhamal
District, on charges of supplying rice, ration and other material
to the Maoist outfit. The duo was also allegedly helping the Maoists
to paste Maoist posters in various places.
|
October 11 |
Gavaskar Nayak (27) was arrested
in Kandhamal District for allegedly giving shelter to CPI-Maoist
leaders in his house.
The Odisha bandh call
given by the CPI-Maoist evoked lukewarm response in various Naxal-hit
areas of the State, amid normal trade and business activities
and vehicular movement, the Police said.
|
October 12 |
An exchange of fire between the
CPI-Maoist cadres and the SFs took place in the wee hours of near
Jamgaon village in Puintala tehsil in Bolangir District.
|
October 13 |
About three weeks after the murder
of Jagabandhu Majhi, the BJD MLA representing Umerkote assembly
constituency and his PSO Prasanta Kumar Patra at Gonahatapadar
village under Raighar Police Station in Nabarangpur District on
September 24, the CPI-Maoist cadres of Mainpur division of Chhattisgarh
claimed that they killed Majhi as he was extorting and getting
many people killed in their name. The claim was made through The
Samaj, a local newspaper.
IG, Operation Y B Khurania, IG,
Northern Range R P Koche, the CRPF Commandant and the Bargarh
SP held a meeting with Bolangir SP Awinish Kumar and reviewed
the law and order situation in the District and later, they toured
Maoist-infested pockets in Khaparakhol block in the District.
|
October 18 |
The SFs recovered
four landmines of 25 kilograms each during a combing operation
in Godibali Chhaka near Kerubadi under Daringibadi Police limits
in Kandhamal District. The CPI-Maoist were probably planning a
major explosion and wanted to plant the landmines in the area,
Kandhamal SP J N Pankaj said.
High alert has been
sounded in all 14 Police Station areas in the District following
revelations by Jagannath Nayak, a top Maoist that an attack by
the Maoists was being planned.
Four activists of
anti-Maoist CMAS of Bandhugaon unit were allegedly abducted by
the Maoists near Katulpeta in Koraput District. The CMAS group
of Bandhugaon block is opposed to violent activities of Maoists
while the CMAS group of Narayanpatna block is allegedly supported
by the Maoists.
|
October 19 |
CPI-Maoist cadres
killed Puala Sadaram, a panchayat ward member of Sanakamara village
and supporter of anti-Maoist CMAS of Bandhugaon unit, near Kumarganda
village of Bandhugaon block in Koraput District. The Maoists had
left posters in Odiya and Telugu language near the body claiming
that he had been killed as he was opposed to their activities
and also was a Police informer.
SFs neutralised a
CPI-Maoist camp operating on a hilltop near Kharimari village
under Adaba Police Station limits in Gajapati District. According
to Police sources a group of Maoists, led by Nikhil of Bansadhara
division, was camping at the spot, planning to disrupt road construction
work in the area. Though some uniforms and food materials were
recovered from the camp, the Maoists managed to escape.
Sanjib Jhankar, sarpanch
of Meghapal gram panchayat and his associate, identified
as Satya Ranjan Bhoi of Hiraloi village, were arrested by the
Jujumura Police for allegedly trying to extort money in the name
of Maoists in Sambalpur District. "We are investing if Jhankar
had direct link with the Maoists or he was extorting money in
their name as panicked people prefer to pay to such persons out
of fear," said a Police Official.
|
October 20 |
The Maoists triggered
a landmine blast in Kiriburu area in Keonjhar District. The blast
damaged the glass panes of a vehicle ferrying three troopers of
the CRPF, including the driver, who were proceeding from Kiriburu
to Megadpur mines to pick up CoBRA troopers, Keonjhar SP Asish
Singh said. However, no one in the vehicle was injured in the
blast, the SP added.
The Maoists abducted
Krishna Pidika, a supporter of the CMAS of Bandhugaon unit, from
a market place in Almonda of Bandhugaon block in the District.
A group of armed Maoists and their supporters dragged away Krishna
from the market place. Krishna was attached to the cultural wing
of the CMAS of Bandhugaon unit and used to sing songs at meetings
organised by this group.
|
October 21 |
An accidental blast
by the CPI-Maoist cadres killed eight cows inside the remote forest
between Ramnabadi and Jirakua villages under Sorada Police Station
in Ganjam District. "Maoists, fearing public dissent, did not
the want the news to spread," said DIG, R.K. Sharma. As rumours
started spreading, Security Forces visited the area on October
23.
Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Pattnaik met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram at New Delhi
and urged to include five more Districts, namely, Ganjam, Bargarh,
Nayagarh, Dhenkanal and Jajpur under IAP to tackle CPI-Maoist
problem in the State. During the meeting Chidambaram informed
Naveen that the centre has already included Ganjam, Nayagarh and
Jajpur in the action plan and would provide security related funds
under the SRE scheme for four Districts, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bolangir
and Bargarh. Chidambaram has assured Naveen that Union Home Ministry
will soon provide one more battalion of CRPF forces to be stationed
in sensitive areas while it would take two to three months to
send one more battalion of BSF forces. The Centre has also placed
indent for 2 MI-17 choppers and placement is expected shortly,
which will be put at the disposal of the State Police, the Home
Minister said.
|
October 22 |
A CPI-Maoist cadre,
identified as Deba Kartami, allegedly involved in several offences
was arrested by a Police team during a combing operation in Metaguda
forest area under Kalimela Police Station in Malkangiri District.
Kartami, an active cadre of Padia dalam, was involved in
many criminal activities, SP, Aniruddha Singh said. Besides a
single barrel gun, some documents were recovered from him.
|
October 23 |
Suspecting presence
of Maoists from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, combing operations
were intensified in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal Districts.
We have launched combing operation for the last several days and
will continue for some more days, Kandhamal SP J N Pankaj said.
|
October 26 |
Maoists exchanged fire with the
SFs during a raid on a camp at Jadu Loisingh forest in Sambalpur
District. The Maoists managed to escape. The SFs recovered a gun,
three cartridges and five grenades from the camp.
|
October 29 |
The Police recovered a powerful
landmine along with detonators, live-wires, batteries and splinters
during a combing operation on the Kerubadi-Bhramarabadi road near
Godamari Chowk in Kandhamal District.
|
October 30 |
A Maoist camp and a ' Martyrs
Pillar' erected by them were destroyed by SF's during a combing
operation in Malkangiri District. A large number of materials
including fatigues, leaflets and utensils being used by the Maoists
were also seized during a raid on their camp near Tumudimarka
under Kalimela Police Station.
|
November 2 |
The CPI-Maoist gave a two-day
bandh (shut down strike) call in Malkangiri District from
November 16 to protest against the deployment of central forces
in the area.
|
November 4 |
A Maoist camp was destroyed during
an exchange of fire between Maoists and SFs at Paniganda forest
areas of Munikhole gram panchayat in Rayagada District.
SFs seized a rifle from the encounter site.
Police arrested a senior Maoist,
Arta Bhoi, following a raid at Basloi village in Jujomora Police
Station area in Sambalpur District. Allegedly, Bhoi was involved
in as many as 19 criminal cases, including the arson at a crusher
unit and a gun battle with Police near Jujomora. Police seized
10 detonators, three gelatin sticks, several batteries, 10 meters
of fuse wire and a cell phone from his possession.
|
November 7 |
Maoists damaged an Andhra Pradesh
Road Transport Corporation (APRTC) bus between Dandabadi village
and Parvatipuram in Koraput District on the Narayanpatna route
demanding that Maoist leader Damodar who was arrested on September
25 be produced in court.
Suspected Maoists put up posters
in Kerubadi area in Kandhamal District threatening eight persons
for being Police informers. While four of them were asked to be
present at a Praja court (Kangaroo Court), the other four
were informed of death sentence being awarded to them.
CPI-Maoist cadres damaged an Andhra
Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APRTC) bus between Dandabadi
village and Parvatipuram in Koraput District on the Narayanpatna
route. The Maoists were demanding that their leader Damodar, who
was arrested on September 25, be produced in court.
Panic gripped the people of Kerubadi
area in Kandhamal District after suspected Maoists put up posters
in the area, threatening eight persons of dire consequences for
being Police informers.
|
November 8 |
Three CPI-Maoist cadres were arrested
from Daringbadi Police Station area in Kandhamal District. The
arrested Maoists were identified as Janardan Pradhan, Salman Pradhan,
and Mahipati Pradhan.
|
November 9 |
Police arrested three suspected
CPI-Maoist cadres from Jujomora Police Station area in Sambalpur
District after conducting raids at various places. They also sized
gun -powder from the possession of one of them. Police said they
all were involved in a crusher arson case in Mundher village on
October 25 and a gun battle with Police near Jhankarbahali jungle
on the next day.
Following a meeting with Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said,
"There is a deployment of about 10,000 Central paramilitary forces
in the State. However, the Maoists violence is still high in Orissa."
"Four years ago, we had only four battalions of Central armed
Police in the State. Today, their number is 13 battalions apart
from one battalion of Cobra (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action),"
he added. Reacting to Chidambaram's statement, the Chief Minister
asserted that the number of casualties in such incidents had actually
dropped because of his Government's proactive action.
Chidambaram advised the Odisha
Government to announce a reward policy for getting information
leading to arrest of top Maoist leaders. There are at least three
top Maoist leaders in the rank of 'Central Committee' of Maoists
who are moving in the State, revealed the Union Minister during
his interaction with the State Government.
|
November 11 |
The State Government plans to
set up 150 primary and upper-primary schools and recruit 7,000
teachers in the 17 Maoist-affected Districts.
|
November 14 |
A wanted activist of the Maoist-backed
Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) of Narayanpatna block in Koraput
District, Julka Leku, was arrested.
Cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
a Panchayat ward member, Krushna Punji, in Khairpani village
in Khaparakhol block of Bolangir District. The Maoists labeled
him as a Police informer.
|
November 15 |
Even as the political atmosphere
in Nabarangpur District's Umerkote is heating up ahead of the
by-election on November 30, Maoist fear continues to cast a pall
of gloom over the area. During the 2009 elections, Nabarangpur
District, including Umerkote assembly segment, was considered
a Maoist-free zone. Since then, in the last 20 months, the CPI-Maoist
cadres have made inroads into the area, and have executed a series
of offensives, including the killing of at least four people and
blowing up the Kundai Police Station.
|
November 16 |
CPI-Maoist cadres slit the throat
of a village head, Rama Kunja, at Bhubanpalli in Malkangiri District
and chopped the finger of a school teacher in Koraput District.
The teacher was attacked when he was trying to open the door of
his school in Koraput District, Police said.
Normal life was affected in Malkangiri
District following a two-day bandh call given by the Maoists.
The bandh, which was called demanding withdrawal of SFs,
affected normal life as vehicles were off the road and shops and
educational institutions remained closed.
|
November 17 |
The CPI-Maoist warned BJD leaders
not to campaign for the November 30 Umerkote Assembly by poll
in Koraput District. They also asked voters to boycott the poll.
"Don't express your franchise in the coming election. The government
has done nothing for the tribals. Any BJD leader who dares to
campaign at Raighar area will be eliminated," read a Maoist poster
in Raighar.
A letter reportedly written by
Maoist cadres with death-threat for 13 persons of Chandrapur block
in Rayagada District reached local journalists. The letter signed
by secretary of Bansadhara division of the CPI-Maoist reportedly
ordered the 13 listed persons, said to be Police informers, to
appear in their Kangaroo Court on November 27 or face death.
|
November 19 |
Odisha Government has planned
to set up its own Pioneer Battalions to establish certain vital
bridges and roads in the Maoist-hit Districts. Sources say the
State Government, in the first phase, would raise two Pioneer
Battalions on the lines of the BRO. The Union Ministry of Home
Affairs has accepted the State Government's proposal in this regard
and has agreed to contribute INR 200 million for each battalion
to be raised. Technical persons, including engineers, would be
appointed in the Pioneer Battalions. Odisha would be the first
State in the country to have its own Pioneer Battalions while
the concept already exists in the Indian Army. The members of
the Pioneer Battalions would be imparted special training to work
in difficult situations.
|
November 20 |
The Police found the dead body
of Sunil Debangan, the chairman of Nuapada Panchayat Samiti,
near Godhas waterfall inside Sunabeda sanctuary. The CPI-Maoist
cadres had left some posters near the body claiming that he was
killed because of being 'Police informer' and 'anti-people'. Nuapada
DSP, Prafulla Patra said the Maoists had fired when the Police
went to trace Debangan's body. However, no one was injured.
|
November 25 |
The BSF personnel recovered a
huge cache of explosives during an anti-Naxalite operation in
Narayanpatna in Koraput District. Police said the explosives were
hidden inside a hollow tree near Rajinguda village in Narayanpatna
Police Station area. The recovered items include 45 kilograms
of gel explosives, three buckets of gel IED, each weighing 15
kilograms, 7.5 kilograms gun powder, 15 kilograms urea and 200
metre codex wire.
|
November 28 |
Naxal posters were found at Rengali
Tehsil Office in Sambalpur District. This poster of threatening
was stuck by Odisha Liberation Tigers (OLT).
|
November 29 |
The bandh called by the
Maoists in Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj Districts, bordering
Jharkhand in protest against the killing of their leader Kishanji,
evoked a mixed response. Buses from these three Districts to Jharkhand
stopped plying and vehicular traffic on NH-23 and 215 was also
affected, Police sources said.
|
November 30 |
The bandh call given by
the CPI-Maoist in the border Districts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh
in protest against killing of top Maoist Mallojula Koteswara Rao
alias Kishanji evoked mixed response in Nuapada District.
Except the inter-state bus services
that kept off the roads, the Maoist-sponsored 24-hour shutdown
call evoked little response in the bordering pockets of Sundargarh
District, close to Saranda forest in Jharkhand. However, no untoward
incident was reported.
Despite Maoists' warning to boycott
the Assembly by poll at Umerkote in Nabarangpur District, over
70 per cent of the 165,000 voters cast their ballot peacefully.
|
December 2 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze
two cell phone towers - a BSNL tower at Mathapada and an AirTel
tower at Kalia Attalla village - in Baipariguda block of in Koraput
District and pasted posters and banners on school walls and trees
on roadsides. The Maoists are targeting recruitment of a minimum
of 2,000 youth and adolescents to the PLGA during the PLGA Week
which began on December 2.
The Maoists pasted hundreds of
posters in all the remote corners of undivided Koraput District
(presently Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur Districts) including
Baipariguda, Lamtaput, Kundra and Mathili blocks as also Govindpalli.
Shops and commercial establishments
remained closed in Lamtaput, Macchkund and Ankadeli area of Koraput
District and Balimela, Chitrakonda, Padia and Motu areas in Malkangiri
District.
The Maoists set ablaze two cell
phone towers in Mathapada and Kaliatala in Boipariguda block in
the District, to mark the beginning of PLGA Week.
Separately, during joint combing
operation by the Police and the SOG in Almonda village under Bandhugaon
block, the Police arrested 31 suspected Maoists supporters from
Bargi and Langalabeda areas in the District.
|
December 3 |
The cadres of the CPI-Maoist killed
a contractor, identified as Rabindra Bidika alias Ruben
(40), near Bikrampur under Narayanpatna Block (administrative
division) of Koraput District. Maoists suspected him to be a Police
informer. Bidika was on his way to Narayanpatna on a Motorcycle
along with two others, when a group of Maoists opened fire on
them. Bidika died on spot while the other two were injured. The
Maoists also set ablaze his motorcycle.
|
December 4 |
The two-day country-wide shut-down
called by Maoists evoked mixed response in the State amid disruption
of vehicular movement and closure of shops in some places.
The CPI-Maoist cadres blew up
a school building at Salmi in Malkangiri District.
|
December 5 |
The Maoists set ablaze the battery
room of a mobile tower in the District, on the second day of their
two-day Bharat Bandh. According to sources, around 30 Maoists
swooped down on the mobile tower belonging to a private cellular
company in Kiang village, on Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, under
Mathili Police Limits in the midnight and set the battery room
of the tower on fire.
The Maoists set ablaze a truck
at Jharmunda on Padampur-Nuapada road in Bargarh District. The
empty gunny bags laden truck, bearing registration number OIS
8518, was travelling towards Bargarh town when it was obstructed
at Jharmunda under Padampur Police Station in the District by
a group of at least 100 Maoists.
|
December 6 |
Vehicular traffic came to a halt
and markets remained shut in several CPI-Maoist-infested regions
of the State on second day of the Bharat Bandh called by
the Maoists. Impact of the bandh was felt in several places
of Maoist-infested Districts like Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati,
Sundargarh and Kandhamal.
The Maoists blocked the area by
putting tree logs across the road, disrupting traffic, in the
District. Padampur SDPO, N C Dansena, said Maoists have put logs
on the road at Malda and Jharmunda, between Padampur and Paikmal,
by cutting roadside trees. Public transport remained completely
off the road, due to the blockade. Police said steps are being
taken to clear the road.
|
December 10 |
The CPI-Maoist cadres, including
women, attacked the camp of a construction firm at Saraikela village
in Bargarh District and set ablaze about six vehicles.
|
December 11 |
Two CPI-Maoist cadres, identified
as Prasanta Gulurika and Billura Brekawada, were arrested while
trying to plant landmines on a road in Rayagada District. Explosives
including two landmines, four electronic detonators and a few
metres of live wire, Maoist posters, banners and handwritten letters
were recovered from the possession of the arrestees.
|
December 13 |
A top CPI-Maoist cadre and three
of his associates were arrested in Sambalpur District. The arrested
Maoists were identified as Rambeer Sansar (22), Basant Herenz
(51), Durga Topno (25) and Manglu Oram (55). Sansar, along with
three of his associates, were arrested while they were on their
way to the market.
The Odisha Police recovered a
massive arms and ammunition dump of CPI-Maoist that included 15
landmines, 17 detonators and 6 pressure bombs from deep inside
forests in Rayagada District.
|
December 14 |
A group of more than 50 armed
CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze a vehicle of Essar company near Pallankray
village in Ralegada panchayat under Chitrakonda Police
limits in Malkangiri District. The Maoists took the 7-member group
of Essar company officials from Chhattisgarh as hostage in a nearby
area and set the Tata Sumo vehicle on fire after pouring petrol
on it. All the hostages were later released hours after the incident.
The Maoists were in military uniforms and were speaking in Oriya
and Hindi, said an eyewitness to the incident.
The District Police destroyed
illegal hemp cultivation over 15 acres in Kendiriguda village
within Padmapur Police limits in Rayagada District. Sources claimed
that a part of the earnings from such cultivation goes to the
Maoists and hence it is undertaken in Maoist-dominated areas.
|
December 16 |
CPI-Maoist cadres set ablaze the
battery rooms of at least five mobile towers in Sorada area of
Ganjam District. While two mobile towers were attacked in Gajalabadi,
three were attacked in Ashurabandh under Sorada police station
limits. Separate groups of about 20 Maoists each attacked the
mobile towers belonging to private cellular operators located
in Ganjam-Kandhamal-Gajapati border. Police also found a hand
written poster of the Maoists from Gajalabadi. The poster said
the Maoists had damaged the mobile towers in protest against the
killing of CPI-Maoist politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao
alias Kishanji by SFs in West Bengal.
|
December 19 |
CM Naveen Patnaik told the Assembly
on the murder of the then Umerkote MLA Jagabandhu Majhi that the
case was being investigated and ''Evidence collected so far reveals
the involvement of Left-wing extremists operating from Chhattisgarh''.
Dismissing allegations that the
Government had miserably failed to tackle the Left-wing extremists,
the CM said the militant activities of the CPI-Maoist have been
contained to a great extent. ''There has been no organised Maoist
attack on security forces during the last one year. Important
roads have been secured for effective deployment of forces and
operations by police and security forces,'' he said in his reply
to the discussion on the supplementary demand of grants for the
Home and the General Administration departments. The CM said his
Government was formulating a revised surrender and rehabilitation
policy by making the package more attractive to encourage Maoist
cadres to give up arms. Stating that the strength of SOG has been
substantially enhanced, the CM said inter-State coordination meetings
are being held with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
and Jharkhand for better coordinated operation against the Maoists.
The CM slammed the Union Government for reduced allocation of
Central assistance under MPF scheme over the years despite the
State utilising 99 per cent of the funds provided since 2000.
|
December 20 |
Two huge arms dumps of the CPI-Maoist
were unearthed by SFs in Malkangiri District, close to Andhra
Pradesh border. They were located during a joint operation by
personnel of the BSF, SOG and DVF inside the dense Khalaguda forest,
35 km from Khairaput Police Station. The recovery included 24
gelatine sticks, 103 commercial detonators, two switches of IED,
one IED box, three steel tiffin carriers used to manufacture IEDs,
two wire bundles, batteries of remote control devices, electronic
stop watch, various electronic circuits, 20 capacitors, and two
large plastic drums. Publicity material of the Maoists, both in
Odia and Telugu, was also unearthed. A projector screen was also
seized.
|
December 22 |
During the recent observance of
the PLGA Week, about 5,000 youths and adolescent girls were recruited
by the CPI-Maoist particularly from Malkangiri District. Challenging
the joint combing operation of Police, CRPF, SOG and paramilitary
forces, they were able to hold open meetings for membership drive
in the cut-off and remote pockets of the District. They held Prajamelis
in around 10 villages, including in several village haats
in Alampaka, Similibanki, Kusuguda and Kurmanur areas along the
Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border.
|
December 23 |
After huge haul of explosives
in Malkangiri District, including 24 gelatin sticks, the security
agencies have launched a probe to find out whether the explosives
meant for industries are being smuggled to the LWEs in the District.
The Odisha Police recovered a
huge cache of arms and ammunition from a forest in Koraput District.
According to reports, the Police recovered landmines, tiffin bombs,
one tonne of gunpowder and approximately 50 litres of liquid explosives
and forty walky-talkies belonging to the CPI-Maoist.
|
December 26 |
Ramesh Charva (22), a key CPI-Maoist cadre, was
arrested by the Rourkela Police in a combing operation in Jhirpani-Toda
forest area in Sundargarh District. The Police recovered a revolver,
five live bullets, INR 78, 500 in cash and a few Maoist leaflets
from him.
A Police Station was inaugurated at Podia in Koraput
District. Police were withdrawn from Podia after the CPI-Maoist
cadres blew up the outpost in 2009. BSF and IRB personnel have
also been deployed in Podia with the establishment of the Police
Station there.
|
Note:Compiled from news reports and
are provisional.
|