Madhya Pradesh Timeline 2016

Date

Incidents

April 6

The CPI-Maoist cadres allegedly held a 'kangaroo court' in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh, where a sarpanch was asked to ensure payment of wage arrears under the MGNREGA. This is after a long time that Naxal activity has come to light in Balaghat District, which is close to Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh and Gondia of Maharashtra. "Twenty Naxals including six women held an unofficial court in Pandripani jungle near Rashimetta in south Baiher on the night of April 4," said former Lanji MLA Kishore Samrite. The villagers complained to the Naxals that they had not received wages for work under the MGNREGA for several months. The Naxals told the woman sarpanch's husband to make sure that payments were made within 15 days. Otherwise the sarpanch should resign, they said. "We have got inputs that rebels held a meeting, not a kangaroo court, on April 4," SP Gaurav Tiwari said.

Heavy exchange of fire took place twice between Hawk Force of State Police and an armed squad of CPI-Maoist at Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh. Though the exact location of encounter is yet to be confirmed, intelligence officers at Police headquarters said first firing took place near a forest area under Patra Police outpost under Roopjhar Police Station. Commandant, who was leading the force, ordered retaliation as the Maoists fired on the SFs. However, no casualty was reported from either side. Previous encounter was reported from Machhurda forest area, located 30 kilometres from District headquarters during routine patrolling. Armed Forces were heading towards the forest from the area under Birsa Police Station, when Maoists opened fire for the first time. "It seems to be a chance attack instead of an ambush. That was a transit point for Maoists to enter Maharashtra," said Police officer monitoring anti-Naxal operations.

The Maoists who had an encounter with Madhya Pradesh SF personnel in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh, were newly recruited from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and wanted to influence tendu leaf plucking to broaden base, investigations have revealed. The groups of 25-30 fresh recruits were led by three hardcore Maoists, including Tanda Malajkhand 'area committee member' Sangita, who carries a reward of INR 700,000 on head and is wanted by the Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Police. The other two included Tanda Malajkhand 'area committee member' Dipak, who carries INR 3 million reward on head, and 'divisional commander' of North Gadchiroli Gondia committee Naresh, who carries INR 2 million bounty. The Maoists were camping in the jungles between Chukkatola and Bhagwandeeh in Balaghat District to extort money from contractors of tendu leaf plucking on the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra trisection, investigations have revealed. Balaghat Police sources said the Maoists had planned to fuel resentment among tribes people plucking tendu leaves by telling them that they are paid INR 130 per hundred leaves instead of INR 150 per hundred leaves.

Madhya Pradesh has decided to form a Special Indian Reserve Battalion, a force that can be deployed across the country for maintaining law and order and fighting Naxalism. A total of seven companies and 1,107 posts will be created in the special force.

CPI-Maoist cadres reportedly looted a truck and set it ablaze in Balaghat District. The incident took place at Dhiri Murum village of the District. Police said a group of 25-30 armed people, dressed in green uniform, looted a truck and then set it afire in Mataghat area.

Some pamphlets, allegedly published by the North Gadchiroli-Gondia Divisional Committee of the CPI-Maoist, have warned the Balaghat District SP Gaurav Tiwari and alleged 'Police informers' of dire consequences. The pamphlet, which has been distributed in the forests of Balaghat says the Balaghat SP had made false claim over the April 7 encounter in the forest areas of Chukatola and Bhagwandehi in which a Maoist was injured. The Maoists have accused the Police of trying to seek appreciation over a false claim and threatened the SP and his team to be ready to face consequences for taking credit for the encounter. The pamphlets also warned sarpanchs to resign or pay MNREGA dues to the beneficiaries within a fortnight.

The CPI-Maoist cadres have threatened a senior police officer in Madhya Pradesh with dire consequences for allegedly making "false claims" that a Maoist was injured in an encounter with the security personnel last month (April). In the pamphlets recently circulated by the CPI-Maoist Gondia 'Divisional Committee', North Gadchiroli, the Maoists had threatened Balaghat District SP Gaurav Tiwari to be "prepared to face punishment''. "The SP is making false claims regarding the police encounter with Naxals of April 7, 2016 and they are winning false praise," the pamphlets have alleged. "The SP and his stooges should be prepared to face punishment," the pamphlets said.

Children as young as six and nine-year-old are being recruited from various states of the country and trained in use of sophisticated weapons and guerrilla warfare in forests of Balaghat District in Madhya Pradesh. During a fierce encounter in Balaghat's deep forests, a Police team led by IG D.C. Sagar and SP Gaurav Tiwari came across evidence indicating training of kids in planting bombs and operating firearms like AK-47. "Our team was fired upon by children, including girls. Size 4 shoes and school notes were among articles confiscated from Kokra-Bundari Maoist camp that was raided on Tuesday," the IG said. Balaghat Police had specific intelligence about the training camp. "Guerrillas were alerted as they saw the Police team approaching. They managed to escape. However, they left behind ammunition food and fruits," said the officer. Divisional committee members like Pahad Singh, who carries a bounty of INR 5 million, Dilip Guha's wife Sangeeta and Naresh were present in the camp. "Rebels are readying their next line of fighters by imparting warfare skills to children as young as six at Bal Sangam, a unit where children are introduced to local leaders," said the IG.

Madhya Pradesh Police recovered CPI-Maoist posters with death warrants issued against the names of SFs and 'Police informers' in Balaghat District. Balaghat Police Chief Gaurav Tiwari told that that some officers found such posters in Lal Ghati area under Roopjhar Police jurisdiction. These posters also held out dire warnings for 'Police informers'. Tiwari said that the SFs were continuing with their anti-Maoist campaign in the jungle. According to official sources, the posters were a retaliatory move by Maoists against the SFs armed action.

Irked at not being provided 'provisions', Naxals torched five trucks carrying bamboo and thrashed forest staff in Balaghat District. The incident took place in jungles of Matghat under Deverbeli Police outpost. "Three out of five trucks were of private owners. The Naxals demanded provisions, and on not getting it, they set the vehicles ablaze. They also handed out pamphlets," IG Balaghat Range, D.C. Sagar said. The incident took place at around 6 pm. "We were not informed about threat of Naxals, who were around 30 in numbers," he said. "We have launched a hunt to nab them," he added.

CPI-Maoist 'central committee' has given a call for celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Naxalbari armed uprising, centenary of the Russian revolution and the bicentenary of the birth of Karl Marx. In a 10-page statement, the 'general secretary' of the CPI-Maoist, Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi, said that all the party units should make "preparations, put maximum efforts and issue calls to the vast masses to actively and energetically participate in these celebrations". He called upon his party cadre to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Naxalbari uprising from May 23 to 29, 2017, the centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution from November 7 to 13, 2017 and Karl Marx birth bicentenary from May 5 to 11, 2018. If, for any reason, it was not feasible to conduct these events on the above mentioned dates, Ganapathi said, they could be organised in other time of the years of the anniversaries. "It is to be expected that the enemy will try to create all kinds of hurdles everywhere to prevent us from organising these anniversaries, be it in the urban or rural areas. We should be prepared for this and make realistic and practicable plans to conduct these programmes successfully in spite of disruptionist efforts", the statement said. The Maoist party also said that efforts should be made to organise at least one international programme in any of the Indian cities on a date agreeable to all participants. As part of these celebrations, the party has also sought publication of books, booklets and collection of articles for enhancing the understanding of Marxism.

A banner urging people to join the CPI-Maoist surfaced at Bithli in Balaghat District. The banner was found a day before the start of the 'Martyrs week'. It also warned Police informers. SP Balaghat District Dr. Asit Yadav said that a Maoist banner was found in village Bithli.

Ex-Samajwadi Party MLA Kishore Samrite escaped a bid on his life when CPI-Maoist cadres fired indiscriminately on his vehicle in Balaghat District. This is said to be a second attack on his life in the last six months while Police officers are yet to upgrade his security cover. "What more to say, service pistol of my personal security officer got jammed after a few shots. Maoists would have got us all had we not left the spot in time," Samrite said. The incident took place when the ex-MLA was returning from a temple in Bilaspur when they were asked to stop by a group of around 20 Maoists, including women, near Sitapala ghat under Bahela Police Station area.

The CPI-Maoist cadres allegedly tortured and killed a 23-year-old youth on the suspicion that he was a 'Police informer' in Balaghat District. The body of the youth identified as Kartik Dhurve, a resident of Bondari village under Pathari Police outpost under Malajkhand Police Station, was found on a road. "Several armed Naxals kidnapped Dhurve on November 9 and threatened the family members that they will kill him, if they informed police," Balaghat, SP, Amit Sanghi, said. He added, "They did not report the matter to police. His body was found on Friday. There were severe injuries on his skull and it seems they attacked him with some sharp-edged weapon." Sources said that they suspected him to be 'Police informer'. However, Police denied that he was an 'informer'. "They may have seen him talking to some senior Police officials at some point of time and suspected him to be an informer," said an official, pleading anonymity. While abducting him the Naxals had introduced themselves as Maoists, though they didn't disclose the name of their 'Dalam'.

Poachers in Madhya Pradesh have an easy access to explosives of Naxals in Balaghat and Seoni District. They have been using on a regular basis to kill endangered and protected species of wild animals. The shocker of surfaced during interrogation of members of a poaching syndicate, who have been arrested for killing three tigers, four leopards and 200 wild boars from forest areas of the state for witchcraft and consumption. The arrests were made in a joint operation by MPSTF (forest) and sleuths from Balaghat and Seoni forest circles with the help of local Police. Officials seized 20 crude bombs from the possession of syndicate members. Crude bombs include explosive material laced with meat and rolled into balls, a bite of which can be fatal for a tiger or any other big cat. After three weeks of intense investigations, officials concluded poachers laced meat with explosives."Explosives are wrapped like a ball with thick paper and covered in intestine meat of a buffalo or a goat. Smell of meat attracts boars and other wild animals. When they bite, bomb explodes in their mouth killing them on the spot," said an official. These bombs were used for killing wild boars only, said the officer, adding they were getting black powder from core Naxal-hit areas.STF officials said Police have been informed about Naxal angle behind poaching syndicate. "We have got separate cases registered against these accused under the Explosives Act," said the officer. In all, 46 people have been arrested in eight cases so far.