Uttarakhand Timeline 2017

Date

Incidents

February 2

Posters and pamphlets by the CPI-Maoist cadres threatening to disrupt the upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly polls emerged near Dhari area in Nainital District.. An official's vehicle was also set on fire, prompting the administration to put Kumaon Division on high alert and step up deployment in the region. The car belongs to a Tehsildar Magistrate and the pamphlet bore the name of Vijay Pahru who introduced himself as Secretary CPI-Maoist. The Uttarakhand Assembly polls are slated to be held on February 15, 2017.

The Nainital Police issued warrants against nine suspects in connection with "inflammatory" slogans written by suspected of CPI-Maoist cadres on the walls of houses in a village of Nainital District. Police have also announced a bounty of INR 10,000 on one of the suspects Kheench Singh Bora. Police said Bora alias Vijay Nehru alias Prabhakar, a resident of Someshwar in Almora District of Uttarakhand, had been active in Naxals related activities in the State. Nainital SSP, Janmejay Khanduri said, "Intense search and combing operations are going on. All suspects are on our watch and we will soon locate people who were behind the incident."

The CPI-Maoist calling for the boycott of the February 15 Assembly Elections in Uttarakhand, painted slogans in Someshwar in Almora District. Posters, banners and painted slogans were found at various places in and around Someshwar.

The CPI-Maoist cadres pasted posters while supporting the cause of the liquor ban and exhorting the people to eliminate those engaged in booze trade in Almora District. DIG, Kumaon, Ajay Rautela said that Police in the area are alert against the CPI-Maoist cadres seemingly trying to strike roots in the areas while supporting a popular cause.

The Uttarakhand Government announced a bounty of INR 50,000 each for information leading to arrest of "absconding" CPI-Maoist leaders Kim Singh Bora and Devendra Chabhyal, who hail from Someshwar and Petshaal villages, respectively, in Almora District.

The CPI-Maoist cadres pasted a poster on the walls of Block Development office and a Government-run Inter College based at Dhaulichheena in Almora District. The poster affirmed that CPI-Maoist would continue to espouse the cause of liquor ban while lending their full weight behind the women who are spearheading the fight against liquor in the hills.

The Uttarakhand Police arrested two cadres of the CPI-Maoist, identified as Devendra Chamyal and Bhagwati Bisht, from Chorgaliya area in Nainital District. They received training for four years in Jharkhand and started operations in Uttarakhand in 2013. They are residents of Almora. Police recovered some notes from them outlining their plan to oppose the construction of the Pancheshwar dam. State DGP, Anil K Raturi, announced reward of INR 20, 000 to the team for arresting the Maoists. In course of interrogation, Devendra said that he was distributing pamphlets, posters and flags at Dhari, Bhawali, Someshwar, Chanauda, Lod, Dwarahat, Bagwali, Pokhar and other areas since February 2017. Devendra is a member of 'zonal committee member' of the CPI-Maoist.

Nainital Police have secured Police custody of CPI-Maoist cadre, Devendra Chamyal, from the court in Nainital District. The District Police had filed a petition, seeking Police custody of Chamyal on September 25. Uttarakhand Police had arrested Chamyal and his friend Bhagwati Bisht from Chorgaliya on September 24 who was on the run for years.

The Uttarakhand Police declared a reward of INR 20,000 on information leading to the arrest of Bhaskar Pandey alias Bhuvan for his alleged involvement in CPI-Maoist activities. ADGP, Law and Order, Ashok Kumar said that the DGP has announced the reward of INR 20,000 on the arrest of Pandey, a resident of Almora District. Pandey was involved in Maoist activities in Almora and Nainital region, he said, adding the accused was involved in incidents of arson and violence in Nainisar and had several cases pending against him.