West Bengal Timeline 2012

Date

Incidents

January 2

The State Police's recruitment drive in CPI-Maoist-affected Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore Districts has received a strong response. The Government has fast forwarded the process of recruitment of constables and home guards in the wake of the killing of Maoist politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao on November 24, 2011.

Four CPI-Maoist cadres surrendered before CM Mamata Banerjee in Jhargram in West Midnapore District. The four surrendered cadres are identified as Lambodar Majhi, Bhajohari Mahato and Karan Kaibarta and Sukhdev Mahato.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced that her Government would prepare an employment bank for the youth in Junglemahal comprising three Maoist-hit districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.

From paying off an ailing father's medical bills and eliminating sworn enemies to death threats - the CPI-Maoist resorts to every tactics to rope in new recruits.

One of the main accused in the derailment of the Jnaneswari Express that claimed 148 lives on May 28, 2010, identified as Joydeb Mahato, was arrested from West Midnapore District.

The CPI-Maoist has for the first time admitted that the death of its politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji has dealt a heavy blow to the outfit and called upon the youth to join the outfit.

The Police claimed to have uncovered a CPI-Maoist plot to target the Nimpura Police Camp near the Indian Air Force base at Kalaikunda in West Midnapore District as "revenge" for Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji's death.

Md Khaleque alias Bablu, reportedly a close aide of State secretary Akash of the CPI-Maoist of West Bengal and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji, was arrested from village Khokra near Harishchandrapur in Maldah District. Bablu was reportedly the prime suspect in the killing of CPI-M supporter Sridam Das (49), of Dubrajpur on April 22 of 2008 and Primary school teacher and CPI-M leader Nandalal Mistri (53), of Rajnagar village of Birbhum District on September 22, 2011.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadres killed a worker of the TMC party in Jhargram area in West Midnapore District. The worker was picked up by the Maoists late in the night from his home and was shot dead. Namita Mahato, a local woman, said that the body of the TMC worker was found near the railway tracks.

The STF of Kolkata Police arrested a senior member of the RPF, the political front of the Manipur-based PLA; from the Maidan area in Kolkata, for his alleged links with the CPI-Maoist in West Bengal. Dhiren Singh alias Raghu alias Macha (37), was living in South Kolkata posing as a medical representative, an unnamed senior STF officer said. The Police recovered 30 rounds of live cartridges of 7.62 bore from him. "He was supplying arms and sophisticated communication sets to Maoists for the past two years," the officer said. "Dhiren is the self-styled captain of the PLA. He had been travelling across West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for the past three years, with Kolkata as his base, for fixing deals with the Maoists," an STF source said.

A CPI-Maoist 'squad leader', Yudhistir Mahato alias Arjun, was killed during an encounter with joint SFs in Jamtal forest in West Midnapore District. Yudhistir Mahato was killed when SFs purportedly opened retaliatory fire after Maoists attacked them during the combing operation in the area.

A CPI-Maoist couple, identified as Chiranjit Mahato alias Nirmal Mahato alias Lambu and his wife Anima Mahato alias Usha, surrendered to the West Midnapore District Police. Chiranjit primarily operated in Madhupur and Kanta Pahari area of Lalgarh. Anima was part of the armed group led by Badal.

After getting information from two surrendered CPI-Maoist cadres Chiranjit Mahato and his wife Anima Mahato, the Police recovered 11 landmines, 10 kilograms of explosives, several detonators, Maoist posters and leaflets and other material needed to make landmines from Kanyabali forest at Salboni in West Midnapore District.

Phulmani alias Bela, a female squad member of the CPI-Maoist was arrested by the joint SFs from Jangalmahal region under the Lalgarh Police Thana area in West Midnapore District.

The joint SFs launched an operation against CPI-Maoist in the forest belt near Jharkhand border in West Midnapore District. Combined forces of CRPF, SAP, and CoBRA troopers began inching towards Kanaisol Hills, 15-20 kilometres from Belpahari Police Station, close to the inter-state boundary, Police sources said. The operation was launched after the administration put up posters in several parts of the belt with pictures of seven 'area commanders' of CPI-Maoist, urging them to come forward and lay down arms.

One person identified as Sahadeb Hansda (28), an alleged Maoist linkman, was arrested from Bikrampur village under Simlapal Police Station in Bankura District.

In an attempt to persuade members of the CPI-Maoist to lay down arms and prevent their movement in the Maoist-affected Jangalmahal region of West Bengal, the State Police have put up posters with the photographs of seven prominent Maoist leaders in the Jhargram area in West Midnapore District. Each poster has the name and photograph of an important Maoist leader, including the party's State secretary Akash, squad 'commander' Bikash, Suchitra Mahato, Tara and Jayanto, with a message urging them to join the mainstream.

An encounter took place between SFs and CPI-Maoist cadres in a forest in West Midnapore District. Following intelligence input that a group of Maoists from Bandwan and Odisha had come to Gopiballavpur to hold a meeting, a team of SFs raided the area. There was no report of any injury or casualty during the 20-minute-long encounter, said Jhargram SP Gaurav Sharma. "After the initial firing, the Maoists seemed to have fled away to Odisha. We found a bag and a polythene sheet," he added.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Hub of National Security Guard at Badu in the State's North 24 Parganas District, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram lauded the efforts of the newly elected State Government for bringing Maoist activity under considerable control.

Two persons seated on the roof of a bus were hit by bullets fired by the CPI-Maoist cadres at Purnapani in West Midnapore District. Later, the Maoists abducted one of them.

Sadanala Ramakrishna alias RK, stated to be the head of the Central Technical Committee of the CPI-Maoist, was arrested in Kolkata. Four other Maoist cadres were also arrested. A city court remanded all the five in Police custody till March 13. Ramakrishna had been arrested along with associate Dipak Kumar, a resident of Chhattisgarh, from the College Street area. The three others - Sukumar Mondal, Bapi Mudi and Sambhu Charan Pal, all said to be residents of the State - were arrested from the Beniapukur area and seized materials used in making rocket launchers and other explosives from a workshop in the same area. The accused were involved in acquisition and manufacture of firearms, rocket launchers and grenades. They supplied firearms to Maoist outfits across the country. "Subversive documents", Maoist literature, drawings of machine parts and INR 500, 000 in cash were seized from the accused. Twenty-five pieces of six-holed metal sockets used in making rocket launchers were recovered from the Beniapukur workshop.

Mumbai Police arrested Aswin Kumar Bhattacharya from Mumbai. Bhattacharya, a senior member of the CPI-Maoist, is also a part of the arms supply chain, said Police sources.

Based on the information provided by five CPI-Maoist cadres who were arrested on February 29 in a joint operation of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh Police, STF officers of Kolkata Police raided an apartment in Birati, located in the eastern fringe of the city, and seized INR 3.5 million in cash, instruments used for manufacturing rocket-launchers, and some Maoist documents.

In a surprising revelation, the STF and IB officers interrogating five arrested CPI-Maoist learnt that the Maoist movement in Chhattisgarh is mainly controlled from various parts of the city. "Kolkata not only provides the logistics, financial and other support to their counterparts in Chhattisgarh but it also arranges for a safe hideout for important national level leaders. As per our information, at least three to four Central Committee members live in the city throughout the year," a top STF officer said.

Senior female CPI-Maoist action squad 'commander' Suchitra Mahato (35), a close aide of killed CPI-Maoist Politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji, surrendered in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with her newly married husband Prabir Gorai at the State Secretariat in Kolkata.

The Kolkata Police approached a Court in Kolkata to frame charges against Sadanala Ramakrishna alias RK, the head of the Central Technical Committee of the CPI-Maoist, and four other members of the outfit, arrested on March 1, under the UAPA.

Joint SF's found a laptop and a printer, believed to be used by the CPI-Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji just hours before his death. Six powerful IEDs and more than 150 kilogram of explosives, detonators and some ammunition were also seized from the hideout in Kushaboni forest of Jhargram in West Midnapore District.

The Jharkhand and West Bengal Police launched a combing operation in East Singhbhum District on the border between two States on information that a Maoist squad was in the area.

Mangal Mahato, a leader of the PCPA, a frontal organisation of the CPI-Maoist, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the West Midnapore District. The bullet- ridden body of Mahato was found in the morning near Banstala railway station in the Jhargram sub-division of the District.

A hardcore cadre of the CPI-Maoist, who supplied arms to other extremists, has been arrested by the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police, sources said. Ajay Chanda, known as Jhulan in Maoist circles, was caught from Esplanade bus stand a few days ago, after which a city court remanded him to police custody for 14 days. During interrogation, Ajay who hails from Burdwan District admitted that he had links with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and was a key man in bringing arms for Maoist activities from outside. STF sources said based on leads from his statement, they have raided many places in the city and adjoining areas to seize laptops, hard disks, documents and cash worth INR 53,000.

One landmine was recovered by SFs from the side of a road in a forest near Barabari village in Jhargram area of West Midnapore District. The landmine was diffused later.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that her Government has been able to restore peace in Jungle Mahal area with not a single death reported so far this year.

The Maoists blew up the main railway tracks between New Delhi-Howrah route near Gurap Railway station in Hooghly District during wee hours.

Seven CPI-Maoist cadres, including those who were part of the security ring around the slain Politburo member Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji, laid down their arms before senior officials of the State Police at Jhargram in West Midnapore District. According to senior police officers, the Maoists who surrendered were all close to Kishanji and had remained active in the Jhargram area even after the Maoist leader was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Burisole forest of Jhargram on November 24. Jagannath Soren alias Hero who served as bodyguard to Kishanji was the first to lay down his arms, followed by six others who were part of various Maoist squads in the District. Among the arms surrendered were a 5.56 Insas Rifle and .315 and .303 rifles and country-made firearms with more than a hundred rounds of ammunition. Over the past year, since the Trinamool Congress-led government came to power in the State, 23 Maoists have surrendered.

A hardcore CPI-Maoist squad leader, identified as Tota Hembram, was arrested from his hideout near Lalgarh area under the Jhargram subdivision of West Midnapore District in the evening. Hembram, belonged to the Bikash squad, was wanted in several cases of murder, abduction and landmine attacks. Hembram was hiding in Jhatiyara village in Lalgarh's Dharampur when Police raided the house on specific intelligence.

SFs recovered a cache of arms and explosive from Bagjhapa village in Kolaboni area in Jhargram sub-division in West Midnapore District. Acting on a tip off, the Forces raided the village, and dug out from a field 17 landmines, 12 detonators, 33 kilogrammes explosives, 9 socket bombs, two pistols and 30 live cartridges, suspected to be hidden by the CPI-Maoist.

SFs arrested a Maoist, identified as Ranjan Tudu (30), from the Jamboni Police Station area of Jhargram region in West Midnapore District. Senior police officials said Tudu was a trusted and close aide of slain CPI-Maoist politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji.

According to Police, the CPI-Maoist have come back to the villages taking advantage of the monsoon rains, holding meetings and threatening leaders of rival political parties. "Maoists are trying to launch recruitment and training programmes, as movement of security forces inside the forests during monsoon is restricted and there is lesser vigilance. However, we are working on counter strategies," IG, Western zone, Gangeshwar Singh.

The CPI-Maoist is said to be spreading its influence across the industrial zone, specifically collieries, where they are wooing young workers and sending them for arms training, Police said. "We have got some reports, which tell us that Maoists are trying to spread their wings in this area through some frontal organisations. Sometimes, the area is also used as a transit point. However, we are keeping a close eye on the situation," Commissioner of the newly formed Asansol-Durgapur police Commissionerate Ajay Nanda.

After a detailed search a total of 90,000 detonators were seized from a car, intercepted in East Midnapore District. Police managed to arrest driver Guddu Singh and his accomplice Suvo Singh and produced both in court. Police said a possible Maoist link is being probed too.

There was a significant improvement in law and order in the three Maoist-affected Districts of West Bengal with the number of violent incidents and killings of civilians declining, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. She said 235 Left wing extremists have been arrested while 20 of them surrendered to the Police since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government came to power last year. Presenting the budget for the home department, Banerjee asserted that there was a significant improvement in law and order in the Jungle Mahal - forested stretches of three western Districts West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia where Maoists have a base. She said Police recovered 86 firearms, 1,491 pieces of ammunition, 386 kg of explosives and 39 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the affected areas. The figures are based on the data available in the first ten months of the Trinamool regime which has been in office since May 20, 2011.

A CPI-Maoist cadre suspected to be involved in several incidents of violence was arrested from his house in West Midnapore district of West Bengal. The Maoist cadre identified as Bashishtha Mahato alias Bullet was arrested from his home in Talpal under Binpur Police Station of Dumaria, in the District, an officer of the Binpur Police Station said.

A Maoist couple, identified as Raju Murmu and Sujata Kumar, was arrested from Onda forest located in the border of Purulia and Bankura Districts. The Maoist couple was accused of killing of Trinamool workers Jeetu Singh Sardar and Baku Singh Sardar at Bersa village in Balarampur area in Purulia District in 2011.

West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan said that the Mamata Banerjee Government had been able to contain the threat from Maoist forces in West Bengal.

Senior CPI-Maoist leader Arnab Dam alias Bikram was arrested at the Biramdih railway station in Purulia District. An AK-47 rifle, some rounds of ammunition and some Maoist literature were recovered from him. Bikram, a State Committee member and secretary of the Bihar Jharkhand Odisha Border Regional Committee of the CPI-Maoist, was the biggest achievement of the joint SFs after the elimination of Polit Bureau member Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji in a November 2011 encounter in West Midnapore District.

Sleuths dealing with the CPI-Maoist in West Bengal fear that the Maoists in Jungle Mahal are trying to regroup again. In order to prevent their regrouping, the state is planning another phase of joint operations. Senior officers of State Police and CRPF held a coordination meeting with their Jharkhand counterparts.

Keshore Mani Hansda, a woman sarpanch of Kapgari gram panchayat and member of the Jharkhand Party (Naren) from the Jomsoro village in West Midnapore District was arrested by the CID for providing shelter to cadres of the CPI-Maoist.

Aduri Murmu alias Deepa, a woman CPI-Maoist leader was arrested during a raid at Prakendu village in Gopiballavpur in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. Murmu was the 'deputy commandant' of a squad of Maoist guerrilla led by Ranjan Munda and had fought a pitched gun-battle with SFs in the forests of Burishole and Mohulbani in West Midnapore District in February.

Mohan Vishwakarma (60), a senior member of the TRAM unit of the CPI-Maoist was arrested by the STF personnel of Kolkata Police from Watgunge Police Station area in south Kolkata. Huge quantities of grenade manufacturing materials, including 83 pieces of spare parts of grenade, were seized from him.

The City Police arrested CPI-Maoist leader Arjun Ganju from Jharkhand in Kolkata. Arjun was allegedly involved in procuring arms from the city and smuggling them to different armed squads in Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Based on intelligence inputs the West Bengal Police have warned CM Mamata Banerjee and some of her party colleagues against moving in the CPI-Maoist areas, particularly at night, anticipating that they might become soft targets for Maoists.

Two women CPI-Maoist cadres of the Ayodhya squad surrendered before DGP Naparajit Mukherjee at the State Secretariat in Kolkata of West Bengal. According to Police, Sikha Hansda and Champa Hembram were active in the State's Purulia District, along the West Bengal-Jharkhand border for nearly four years. Both Hansda and Hembram laid down two firearms and a few rounds of ammunition at the time of surrender.

The joint SFs arrested two wanted CPI-Maoist leaders identified as Ranjan Munda and Baneshwar Murmu along with an SLR and a rifle, from Gopiballpur in West Midnapore District. Munda, an 'area commander' in-charge of the Nayagram squad, was arrested from Chilkathi village in Jhargram during an operation led by ASP (operations) Alok Rajoria. Involved in the abduction of OIC of the Sankrail Police Station, Atindranath Nath Dutta in October 2009, Munda had carried out subversive activities in Jharkhand and Odisha apart from Jangalmahal. Murmu, an action squad leader of Jhargram, had accompanied Munda during the operation.

SFs arrested a CPI-Maoist cadre from Sarenga area of Bankura District. Biswajit Hansda, against whom several cases of murder and extortion were pending, was caught after SFs got information about his movement in the area.

Chandi Sarkar, alleged to be a Maoist leader arrested from Kathgara village under Chapra Police Station in Nadia District on 23 September, 2005, was released from jail after being granted bail in all the cases against him. There had been six cases against Sarkar who had been slapped with sedition and other charges including under the Arms Act.

The Calcutta High Court granted the status of political prisoners to seven CPI-Maoist cadres, including senior leader of the outfit, Venkateswar Reddy alias Telugu Dipak and Chhatradhar Mahato, convenor of the Maoist-backed PCPA. Subhashish Roy, counsel for the Maoists said that under the West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992, these prisoners were entitled to the status of political prisoner. Besides Reddy and Mahato, others who were granted the status are Gaur Chakrabarty, former spokesperson of the CPI-Maoist and the first person to be arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Sukhshanti Baskey, Shambhu Soren, Sogun Murmu and Prasun Chatterjee.

Cautioning the Maoists that her Government will not tolerate any violence, CM Mamata Banerjee said that West Bengal had outperformed all other States in ensuring development of areas where Maoists are present. She was addressing a rally at Belpahari in West Midnapore District, once the hotbed of Maoist activities. Banerjee, who became the first Chief Minister to visit the area in four decades, handed over cheques to family members of people killed by Maoists, even as a Maoist cadre, Rabi Murmu, publicly surrendered before her. He is the 37th Maoist to surrender before the Trinamool-led administration. Only eight Maoists had surrendered during the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regime.

Banerjee said that cadres were being brought over from Jharkhand and Odisha to foment trouble in the Jungle Mahal region of the State.

She promised a Government job for one family member of all the people killed in Maoist violence, adding that those who stand up to the Maoists should register their names with local authorities so that they could be provided jobs in the future. She also announced that surrendered Maoists will be given government jobs - home guards at that.

Tribals in the CPI-Maoist-infested Jungle Mahal region (Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore Districts) of West Bengal are planning a "peaceful agitation" to wrest autonomy from the state, much like what the Gorkhas have in the Darjeeling hills. "Our main demand will be autonomy in the form of a Jangalmahal Territorial Administration," Ashok Jiban Ghosh, who was a secretary of the Maoist-backed PCPA, said.

The West Bengal Government is contemplating joint operations with neighbouring states against the CPI-Maoist in Jungle Mahal. "Yes, we have a plan for joint operations in Jungle Mahal," DGP Naparajit Mukherjee told reporters when asked if joint operations were being planned with Odisha and Jharkhand against Maoists.

The Police recovered arms hidden by the CPI-Maoist in the forests of West Midnapore District in West Bengal. Jhargram SP Bharati Ghosh said based on leads provided by arrested Maoist Ranjan Munda, they searched a forest area near Nayagram village along the Odisha border and found the arms and ammunition hidden inside a plastic bag. The arms include a number of cartridges, an AK-47 rifle, 18 detonators and other ammunition.

A CPI-Maoist cadre was arrested by joint forces from Sarenga area in Bankura District of West Bengal. Abhiram Tudu (31) is an accused in the killing of a CPI-Marxist leader in January 2010.

CRPF authorities have appealed to the West Bengal home department to ensure that the CRPF personnel get the monetary incentive which was announced for catching or killing top Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji. A reward of INR 3.1 million was announced for Kishanji's head by Odisha (INR 700,000) and Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh (1.2 million each). Home Ministry sources said even though the cash reward was announced by Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, it was the duty of the West Bengal government to coordinate the reward-giving procedure for Kishanji's death took place on its soil.

A CPI-Maoist cadre in Jamshedpur Jail, when interrogated by Jharkhand Police, confessed to handing over INR 200,000 to Choton Das, a human rights activist who was named by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as one of six interlocutors in July 2011 and whose job in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) was also restored by her order. Das is also state secretary of the Bandi Mukti Committee in West Bengal, and the money Pradip Gayen handed over to him was extorted from a contractor working on a project on Subarnarekha River. Police maintain that Gayen alias Benoy Das was formerly a member of Bandi Mukti Committee. However, Das denied having taken any money from Gayen, whom he denied knowing, or any Maoist whatsoever.

The STF of Kolkata Police arrested three cadres of the CPI-Maoist including the secretary of the Kolkata City Committee of the outfit, Abhishek Mukherjee on the northern fringes of the city. The others arrested along with him have been identified as Sunil Mondol and Subhas Roy. Maoist literature, two improvised fire arms including a semi-automatic gun and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from their possession.

Maoist Kantiran Murmu was arrested from the Barikul Police Station area of Bankura District. Murmu was wanted in connection with a murder case in January 2011.

Sushil Roy, ideologue and politburo member of the CPI-Maoist who is in jail since 2005 and is currently undergoing treatment in Delhi's AIIMS hospital, told Times of India that ahead of 2011 assembly polls in West Bengal, Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji had reached out to the TMC keeping the CPI-Maoist leadership in the dark. Roy said, "He (Kishanji) did not obey party line. He thought he was next to Mao." "The party did not know about his (Kishanji's) meeting with Mamata (Banerjee) before the polls. It was not the party's decision," said Roy.

CPI-Maoist Politburo member Sushil Roy has said Mamata Banerjee first "posed as a supporter of the Maoists' cause but did a quick somersault after becoming Chief Minister" of West Bengal. Roy, 76, arrested in 2005, is undergoing treatment for a kidney ailment at AIIMS.

The latest report of the CAG has slammed the West Bengal Police and the State Government for buying two troop carriers for anti-CPI-Maoist operation at a cost of over INR 9 million "without considering their suitability". In its report that was tabled in the Assembly, the CAG states the two troop carriers have been lying idle for the past three years as they were found unsuitable for use. The West Bengal Police had made the procurement in 2009 "without considering their suitability resulting in the vehicles not being used in anti-terrorist operations for more than two years and consequent blockage of funds," it stated.

Girish Sahis (42), a TMC supporter from Kismat Jambera village was killed by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres at Jhargram in West Midnapore District of Jungle Mahal area of West Bengal. Handwritten posters demanding withdrawal of joint SFs from Jungle Mahal and warnings to the TMC-led Government were strewn near the body.

The Police arrested two top Maoist cadres, identified as Dinu Chalak and Toofan Mahato, during an anti Maoist drive in Jhargram area in West Midnapore District. The Maoists had been booked in heinous crimes, including murder.

Two CRPF troopers, R L Reddy and Bijoy Mahalakshmi, were seriously injured after being shot at by the CPI-Maoist cadres during a combing operation in Goaltore area's Metla forest in West Midnapore District of West Bengal.

A CPI-Maoist cadre identified as Mansingh Murmu alias Sujoy, wanted in a number of murders in West Bengal and Odisha was arrested by the joint forces from Kandasole forest in West Midnapore District.

Acting on an IB missive that warned of CPI-Maoist launching attacks ahead of Kishanji's first death anniversary on November 24, joint Security Forces raided Jhitka and Helibiha forests in Jangalmahal in West Midnapore District and seized a huge cache of ammunition and explosives. Some 1,019 cartridges, including those of AK-47, INSAS rifles, 9-mm and single-barrel guns, along with seven flash guns and 84 detonators were dug out of a pit.

The UHM has advised the West Bengal Government to challenge the Calcutta HC judgment that granted political prisoner status to arrested CPI-Maoist cadres. The high court's judgment is feared to have opened a possibility for the Maoists to exploit a State specific act to justify even the act of waging war against the nation.

Sanatan Sardar, suspected to be an important local leader of the CPI-Maoist, was arrested by the Police in the Binpur Police limits in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. Sanatan is believed to be the landmine and explosives expert of the Madan Mahato squad of the CPI-Maoist and was active in the Belpahari area of Jangalmahal.

The West Bengal DGP Naparajit Mukherjee warned that the CPI-Maoist have links with Pakistan spy agency ISI. He said that the ISI was supporting Maoists in the State. He also said that the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), groups had also joined hands with the Maoists.

A CPI-Maoist leader identified as Saheb Ram Soren was arrested from his village at Shingpur under Binpur Police Station in West Midnapore District of West Bengal.

The SFs recovered 18 challenger mines from a forest near Chotojharia in Gopiballavpur in West Midnapore District. The raid was conducted after specific information about two Maoist groups having entered from neighbouring Jharkhand, Police said.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres, identified as Chiranjeet Saha and Sukhdeb Mahato, were detained by the Police under Kalighat Police Station in Kolkata of West Bengal, who came to complain that they are yet to get the entire rehabilitation package they are entitled to on surrendering. The CM Mamata Banerjee after meeting the duo assured that they will get all the rehabilitation benefits as soon as possible.

Mangal Mura (49), a CPI-Maoist cadre was arrested by the Joint Forces from Bindra village in Belpahari in Jangalmahal area in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. Mura is said to be an important member of Maoist leader Madan Mahato's guerrilla squad.

During another search operation, Joint Forces recovered 69 socket bombs and 136 caps of similar bombs in West Midnapore District.

About 50 CPI-Maoist sympathisers gathered at a community hall in Kolkata to observe the first death anniversary of politburo member Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji.

Ahead of their call for bandh in the region, a group of CPI-Maoist cadres attacked and disrupted a function at Jamuna village in Jhargram block of West Midnapore District in West Bengal. They left after injuring a couple of people while the locals managed to nab one of the Maoists and handed him over to the Police. The incident took place when villagers were engaged in offering prayers to the deity of their goddess and the Maoists attacked them.

A Naxalite, belonging to Bikash Squad of Lalgarh, a splinter group of CPI-Maoist, was arrested by the Police from his residence at Dangrasole village in Taldangra region in Bankura District.

Police conducted raid on the Secretary of CPM's Aguibani local committee in West Bengal, Prashanta Das, on November 26, suspecting him to be having links with CPI-Maoist.

The West Bengal State Government promised to the Central Government to amend a State law in the upcoming Assembly Session to disallow the terrorists and the Maoists from claiming political prisoner status.

The CRPF personnel recovered a landmine and a computer belonging to CPI-Maoist cadres in Jhargram area in West Midnapore District.

CPI-Maoist inmates, including those who have political prisoner status, have gone on an indefinite hunger strike at Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata, demanding immediate release of ailing Maoist inmates Gour Chakraborty and Sushil Roy.

The CRPF launched a 'Community Interactive Programme' in Naxal-afflicted Lalgarh region in West Midnapore District to inculcate a sense of security by developing cordial relations and harnessing co-operation with the villagers living in the CPI-Maoist dominated region.

The Central Government said that front organisations of CPI-Maoist have developed close nexus with certain fundamentalist Islamic groups in West Bengal and forged common platform on certain issues. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs R P N Singh said in Rajya Sabha that the Government was closely monitoring the situation. He, however, said no concrete inputs are available to indicate that the LWE have forged direct ties with ISI of Pakistan.

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, said the State has successfully tackled the problem of Maoist insurgency and that not a single civilian death has been reported so far this year from the LWE-affected Districts. "A year before we came to power (2010) there were 143 civilian deaths (by Maoists) reported from different areas of Junglemahal [West Midnapore, Purulia and some areas of Bankura Districts]. This came down to 12 last year. So far this year, there has been no incidents of civilian killings by the Maoists," Mitra said during a seminar at the PanIIT, a global conference of IIT alumni.

A woman CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Manasi Baske alias Sita, was arrested from Jhasuli village under Salboni Police Station in West Midnapore District.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that the State will not oppose the bail petition of ailing senior Maoist leader Sushil Roy.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in Kolkata that the State would deploy "village police" in every village of the State's Maoist-affected Jangalmahal region.

Charges were framed against 20 accused in the Jnaneswari Express derailment case in which 148 passengers were killed on May 28, 2010.

Two CPI-Maoist cadres surrendered before the Purulia District Police in West Bengal.

West Bengal State Government will utilise the services of surrendered CPI-Maoist cadres for snooping on their former comrades.

The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet against four CPI-Maoist cadres in Kolkata for trying to manufacture rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and 51 mm mortars.