Tamil Nadu Timeline 2012

Date

Incidents

February 20

The Q branch of Tamil Nadu Police arrested a CPI-Maoist State committee member, Manivasakam, near Thanjavur. Manivasakam had been absconding since 2008.

Following the finding of suspected training centres of CPI-Maoist in Karnataka in March 2012, the Tamil Nadu Police, including STF, Q branch and District Police, have launched a combing operation in the Western Ghats. Police teams from 12 Districts are involved in the combing operation in the hilly terrain.

Tamil Nadu is free of any extremist menace, especially Naxalism, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said in the State Assembly. She stated, "We have no fear of Naxals or extremists at all here and we are head and shoulders above all other States in the country in this regard".

The 'Q' branch of Tamil Nadu Police arrested J. Vivek alias Balan (46), State secretary of the CPI-Maoist, from Shenoy Nagar. However, Padma alias Sathyamary (37), who belongs to the women's empowerment wing of the CPI-Maoist managed to escape. Padma was last apprehended by police in 2008. "Padma was on her way to West Bengal as part of a fact finding team. She was nabbed by police then. After that incident, there has been no news about her," added the police source. Vivek was allegedly involved in arms training organised by the Maoists in Periyakulam, Theni District in 2007.

J. Vivek alias Balan (46), State secretary of the CPI-Maoist, has embarked on a hunger strike since June 6 inside Cuddalore Central Prison in support of his demands. Vivek, allegedly involved in arms training at Periyakulam in Theni District in 2007, was nabbed by the 'Q' branch sleuths at Shenoy Nagar in Chennai on May 19. He was lodged in a Madurai jail and, on May 21, shifted to Cuddalore Central Prison. Ever since he was brought to Cuddalore, he has been complaining to the jail authorities about the lack of freedom to move around in the prison and "inadequate" breakfast.

Industry in Tamil Nadu is trying to come to grips with a startling internal discovery that 'fringe militant trade unions' - code phrase for cadres of the CPI-Maoist - have incognito established a foothold in key industrial belts in a state far removed from the heartland of Maoist extremism. In recent weeks, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Employers' Federation of Southern India have, in closed-door meetings, discussed how to deal with this problem, two senior members of the associations told Economic Times on condition of anonymity. The CII's sub-committee on human relations and industrial relations itself is said to have held at least three meetings in this regard. A member of the CII said the issue came to light when a number of small and medium companies started getting suspicious about the entry of new labour groups in their plants and decided to investigate.

"There is no Naxal movement in Tamil Nadu since we are maintaining 'effective and sustained vigil' on our border and hill districts," said DGP K. Ramanujam. Talking to reporters after chairing a review meeting on law and order and major crimes with senior officers of the Salem range, the DGP, scotching rumours and speculative reports that the State was facing Naxal threat from neighbouring States, pointed out that stringent action had led to the arrest of some leaders and cadre of the movement in southern Districts.

Chennai City Police arrested 13 persons including a woman who are suspected to be part of a banned outfit, Makkal Jananayaga Kudiyarasu Katchi. Police sources said the group including prime suspects Palani alias Manickam (48), Duraisingavel (51), both from Kundrathur and Baskar (40) from Minjur along with a woman member Ragini (40) and nine other men gathered in the building of a private school in Neelakandan Salai in Kundrathur on the day.

The Andhra Pradesh Police arrested a Naxalite, identified as Peda Mallu Swami, a former dalam 'commander' of a Local Guerrilla Squad of the erstwhile PWG, in Chennai in Tamil Nadu.