India Timeline - Year 2010

January 1

A high security alert was sounded in Bihar following intelligence reports that six Pakistani-trained terrorists have infiltrated into the State from Nepal.  

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that it would take another two to three years to curb the Maoist menace.

The first major, concerted ground offensive against Naxalites (Left Wing Extremists) has started with Police forces in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh launching a joint operation.

Three Pakistani terrorists, who were kept in the Lampur detention centre for deportation, managed to escape from the Police custody at Kotwali in Delhi.

January 3

The Delhi Police announced a reward of INR 50,000 to those who provide information leading to the arrest of each of the three Pakistani terrorists.

January 4

A suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militant has been arrested at a check post at Cumbum near Theni in Kerala after his passport and identity cards were found to be forged.

An alert has been sounded in the Eastern and East Central Railway (ECR) zones after intelligence inputs suggested infiltration of Taliban-trained suicide squads into Bihar and in metropolises like Kolkata.

January 5

A US Congressional report released identified Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company as a "5,000-member criminal syndicate operating mostly in Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates," which has a "strategic alliance" with Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, and has "forged relationships with Islamists, including LeT and al Qaeda."

January 6

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)-infested States, including Jharkhand and Maharashtra, have set up a Special Task Force (STF) in their bid to jointly tackle the Maoist problem.

January 7

Bihar Government sent 428 Police Personnel, from constables to DSPs, to different Central Police organisations for specialised training in jungle warfare, weapon tactics and counter insurgency and commando operations.

According to intelligence agencies, a 9/11-type terrorist attack using hijacked aero planes stares India in the face with an Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist having acquired pilot training and waiting to strike. 

January 9

The central secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) K. N. Ramachandran said no one is shedding tears for the CPI-Maoist in Andhra Pradesh because they had created a culture of extortion through individual squads.

January 10

The security of 10 scientists working in sensitive areas, like defence and space, has been tightened in the wake of threats from Pakistan-based terrorist outfit LeT.

January 11

Charge sheet has been filed against the 62 accused in connection with the July 26, 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts in which 57 people were killed by a special court.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured New Delhi that Dhaka would not allow its soil to be used as a base for operations by groups inimical to India, her Advisor Abul Kalam Azad said.

Manmohan Singh announced a USD 1 billion line of credit for Bangladesh, the highest one-time line of credit assistance to any country by India.  

January 12

The special designated Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court convicted 22 persons while acquitting an equal number of accused in the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) conspiracy case.

Two LeT militants were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment each by a Delhi court for possessing RDX in connection with a conspiracy to carry out a suicide attack at the Indian Military Academy in 2005.

The Union Government has asked Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam to remain fully alert to prevent any attempt by terrorists to disturb peace.

The MHA has received substantive inputs that many CPI-Maoist leaders, including its ‘general secretary’ Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi, have slipped out of their forest hideouts and entered urban pockets.

Since costs of procuring arms and ammunition have skyrocketed due to inflation, the Maoists have increased their protection money. They have increased their levy rates by 5 to 10 percentage in 2010. The Maoists illegally levy huge amounts on contractors, traders and even Government servants to allow them function in a hassle-free way.

The MHA convened a meeting of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) of nine States which are most affected by the LWE. Official sources said the 24^th meeting of the coordination on LWE, discussed the developmental activities that needs to be undertaken in the Naxal affected areas.

Orissa is likely to get an additional five battalions of the Central Para-military Force (CPMFs) for undertaking anti-Naxalite operation in the State.

Uttar Pradesh Government unveiled its new commando force Blue Hawks, which has been raised by the State Police to tackle militants.

January 13

Seven Pakistani nationals have been arrested from a boat which was intercepted by the BSF in the Cori creek of Kutch District in Gujarat.

In a joint operation, the ATS of Uttar Pradesh Police and Gurgaon (Haryana) Police arrested an agent of the Pakistan’s ISI from Gurgaon for passing important military information. 

Official sources said that the Government of China is yet to extend cooperation to India to prevent militant groups of the Northeast region from procuring weapons from that country, while, reports of frequent visits of the militant leaders to China has also become a matter of serious concern.

January 14

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao asked the United States to ensure that the billions of dollars of American aid given to Pakistan is not diverted for anti-India activities.

January 17

The CPI-Maoist now has developed the expertise to clone sophisticated weapons, including assault rifles of AK series.  

January 18

The Special investigation Team (SIT) of Hyderabad Police arrested ‘south India commander’ of the LeT, identified as Shaik Abdul Khaja alias Amjad, from Afzalgunj area of the city.

The CPI-Maoaist spokesperson and member of the party's central committee Azad warned that Maoists will surely go on the counter-offensive with the Centre cracking down on Maoists in West Bengal and other affected States.

January 19

Bihar Police said Ghulam Rasool, who was arrested from a train at Purnia Junction, is a member of Taliban and has links with the LeT.

January 20

Thousands of paramilitary personnel have launched a crackdown to target some 50 leaders of CPI-Maoist across the country.

January 21

Militant groups operating in the Northeast called for a boycott of the Republic Day celebration on January 26.

The Union Government appointed former Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon as the National Security Advisor (NSA).

January 22

Security was beefed up at airports across the country, after intelligence inputs suggests that Pakistan-based terrorists outfits LeT and other al Qaeda-linked terrorists are planning to hijack aeroplanes.

Another intelligence input said that LeT is ready to carry out airborne suicide attacks using para-gliders in India.

January 23

The Defence Minister A.K. Antony said that threat of infiltration is growing in Jammu and Kashmir.

January 24

The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata city Police seized INR 392000 Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) from three persons.

CPI-Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishan wrote to Union Minister for Railways Mamata Banerjee that it wouldn’t be possible for the Maoists to give up arms and sit for talks.

January 25

An ISI agent was arrested by ATS of the Uttarakhand Police in Roorkee. A number of documents related to Army cantonment of Roorkee, Bikaner, Patiala and Dehradun were recovered from him.

The Uttarakhand Government sounded a red alert across the State following intelligence reports of fresh terror threats to defence establishments and Dehradun-based Indian Military Academy.

January 28

Reacting to Pakistani investigators admission of LeT’s role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi is only one of the 26/11 masterminds, adding that there are other masterminds also.

Home minister Chidambaram strongly refuted Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Gilani's claim that there was insufficient evidence on Jama’at-ud-Da’awa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's links to 26/11.

Pakistan PM Yousaf Raza Gilani denied Indian accusations that his Government was dragging its feet on booking the prime accused of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying the alleged chief architect Hafiz Saeed was very much on trial and the court had to decide when to order his arrest.

Sending a strong message to the CPI-Maoist the Union said the anti-Naxal operations would stop only if the Naxalites abjure violence and decides to come to the negotiation table.

Referring to reports that Jharkhand had halted the anti-Naxal offensive, Chidambaram said Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren told me that there is no change in policy of Jharkhand government and that he is on board with other chief ministers of Naxal-affected states on the strategy being worked out.

January 31

The interrogation of top CPI-Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy has revealed the close ties the Maoist leadership has developed with their counterparts in Nepal.

The CRPF Special Director General and commander of the anti-Naxal task force Vijay Raman said in New Delhi that the Security Forces are in an "operation mode". Asked about possible talks with the Naxals, he said, "I am not aware of it. As far as we are concerned, we are on the ops (operation) mode."

Shahzad alias Pappu, an accused in the September 13, 2008 serial bomb blasts in Delhi was arrested by the ATS of the Uttar Pradesh Police from from Khalispur village in Azamgarh District. He was a cadre of the IM outfit and reportedly carried a cash reward of INR 500000 on his head.

The Centre said the situation in CPI-Maoist -affected States continues to be "a cause of grave concern" and feared that the trend of rising violence - witnessed in 2009 - would continue in 2010.

The Mumbai Police investigators said that they might have identified Indian LeT operative who played a key role in guiding the operations of the team that attacked Mumbai in November 26, 2008. Police believe the Indian national in the LeT's control room could be Syed Zabiuddin Syed Zakiuddin Ansari, a LeT-linked Maharashtra resident, who has been a fugitive since 2005.

The programmes taken up under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which increase agriculture productivity in the rural areas, are not being "blocked" by the CPI-Maoist, a study has claimed.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Hamiduddin alias Hamiruddin alias Salim, who was wanted in connection with the serial bomb blasts on running trains in different parts of the country in 1993, from Lucknow.

The arrested IM militant and Delhi bomb blast accused Shehzad Ahmed alias Pappu confessed that the outfit was planning air attacks through its air terror module.

30 new Marine Police Stations have been sanctioned by the MHA for Tamil Nadu in the second phase of the Coastal Security Scheme. With this, the total number of such Police Stations in the State will increase to 42.

Central Security agencies have been informed about a threat issued by the CPI-Maoist to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who is reluctant to take personal security.

A city court in New Delhi sent Shahzad Ahmad alias Pappu, an IM terrorist and wanted for his role in September 13, 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts, to three days Police custody after he was produced before a magistrate.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered around 30 cases across India in the last three months against terrorists on charges of money laundering and waging war against the country. It has also frozen many bank accounts, and sealed properties allegedly acquired using terror funds.

Senior officers in the Central Para-military Forces said violence levels had gone down in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra primarily because of the increased deployment of SFs.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said that at least one of the handlers of the November 26, 2008 (also known as 26/11) attackers could be an Indian whose true identity has not been ascertained because of Pakistan's refusal to give voice samples of the suspects.

India has proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks to discuss terrorism and any other issue that could lead to peace between the two neighbours.

The Union Government has extended the ban on the SIMI for another two years, beginning on February 8. The outfit has been facing a ban since September 2001. Sources in the MHA said that the ban on SIMI will now continue till February 7, 2012.

The CPI-Maoist called a 72-hour general shut down in five States and partial bandh in three States in protest against talks, scheduled to be held in West Bengal State capital- Kolkata, between the State Governments and the Centre on issues of price rise and internal security.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurating the Chief Ministers conference on Internal Security in New Delhi said that hostile groups and elements were operating "from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in our country, and Jammu and Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups". There was a marked decline in the number of terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir from 2008 to 2009, he said, but expressed concern at the increase in the number of infiltration bids.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram described the Pakistan-based terrorist outfits as "dark forces," which were "implacably" opposed to India. They would be defeated whenever confronted, he said.

Chidambaram also said that during 2009, there was a rise in the number of deaths among civilians (591), Security Forces (317) and militants (217) in the Maoist-affected States.

On the vacancies in the State Police forces, Chidambaram said that 1, 03, 000 recruitments would have made by March 31, 2010, but another 150 000 vacancies needed to be filled.

The Union Government has offered two dates- February 18 and 25 - for Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan in New Delhi.