Jharkhand (Maoist Insurgency): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2023

Three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including two brothers, were arrested from Pannk Narayanpur Police Station limits of Bokaro District of Jharkhand on January 3, reports The Pioneer. About a dozen cases have been registered against them in Pannk-Narayanpur Police Station of Nawadih Block (administrative division) of the district, said Police. Acting on a tip off that two Maoists, Baburam Marandi and Dalo Ram Marandi belonging to Giridih District and another Maoist Futani alias Kuleshwar Kumar Sharma alias Koleshwar Thakur, a resident of Giridih, were arrested while they arrived at place in Nawadih under Pannk-Narayanpur Police Station. The arrested rebels were charged in case number 161/2014 Section-147/148/149/353/307 Bhadvi and 4/5 Explosive Substances Act and 17 Criminal Law Amendment (CLA) Act's First Information Report (FIR) has been registered on December 12, 2014. The Maoists were also accused of planting a bomb in a culvert on the Palamu-Sarubera Road in Nawadih with the intention of killing him. Read less...

Eight prominent Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including three women who were part of the CPI-Maoist squad led by Misir Besra, surrendered before the State Police in Ranchi District of Jharkhand on January 4, reports Ommcom News. Jairam Bodra, Martam Angaria, Sarita Sardar, Tungir Purti, Patar Koda, Kusnu Sirka aka Kartik Sirka and others, surrendered at a programme organised by the State Police. Many cases have been registered against them in different Police Stations of Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, Seraikela-Kharsawan Districts. Read less...

On January 5, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre Chandru Manjhi alias Ramchandra Soren was arrested by the Penk-Narayanpur Police from Jamunia Forest of Uparghat (Nawadih) in Bokaro District of Jharkhand, and sent to jail in connection with the December 6, 2006, land mine blast case in Pulia near Naya Basti of Bokaro Thermal Police Station area in which 13 Security Forces (SF) personnel were killed, reports livehindustan.com. Read less...

An encounter between Police and cadres of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC/TPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist), took place in Angada Forest area under Kunda Police Station limits in Chatra District of Jharkhand on January 6, reports prabhatkhabar.com. Seeing the Police dominating, the TSPC cadres were able to escape by taking advantage of the forest while firing. After the encounter, Police recovered a huge quantity of goods from the encounter site. The recoveries included, one walkie talkie, wire, army paternal cloth, two solar plates with two mobile chargers, cooking utensils, steel plates eight, rice 20 kilograms, fresh vegetables, blanket, civil cloth, pithu bag and other daily use items. Following inputs that ‘regional commander’ of the banned Naxalite [Left Wing Extremist, LWE] organization TSPC, Akraman Ganjhu, carrying a prize of INR 1.5 million, and the ‘regional commander’, Shashikant alias Arif, carrying a prize of INR 1 million, are busy in the forest to carry out the incident, the operation was launched to arrest them. Seeing the Police coming towards them, the cadres started firing on the Police party, and the Police fired in retaliation. After this, the TSPC cadres escaped by taking advantage of the forest. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed supplementary chargesheet before the NIA Special Court, Ranchi, Jharkhand against 14 accused persons in connection with the Naxal [Left Wing Extremist, LWE] attack on former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Gurucharan Nayak and the killing of two Police personnel in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand on January 4, 2022, reports lawbeat.in on January 9. The 14 accused charge sheeted persons are: Pradhan Korah @ Mantri, Sriram Tubid @ Sheeram Tubid, Shailendra Bahanda, Pusa Lugun @ Puse Lugun, Sunia Surin, Mangal Singh Diggi, Rangiya Lugun, Kujari, Mangal Singh Lugun @ Vikram, Kishmat Korah, Misir Besra @ Sagar da @ Bhaskar Da @ Diwakar Da @ Sunirmal, Sushant Da @ Anmol @ Samar Ji @ Lalchand Hembrom, Sameer @ Lalu Modiyam, and Ashwin @ Lachhu Korsa. All the accused persons have been charge sheeted under Sections 120B, 121, 121-A, 147, 148, 149, 201, 302, 307, 333, 353, 395, 396, 397 of IPC, Sections 16, 18, 18-A, 18-B, 19, 20, 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Section 27 of Arms Act. The NIA press release stated, “Investigations have revealed that the accused persons are CPI (Maoist) [Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)] members and they participated in meetings in which a conspiracy was hatched to target former MLA Gurucharan Nayak. They also participated in the crime which resulted in the injury and death of police personnel and the looting of arms and ammunition. Investigations also revealed that the accused persons were involved in recruiting members for the commission of terrorist acts and organized Training Camps for carrying out terrorist activities.” As per the NIA press release, the case was initially registered on January 5, 2022, at Goilkera, Police Station in West Singhbhum, and later re-registered by the NIA on June 30, 2022. Read less...

On January 9, Palamu Police arrested ‘area commander’ of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC/TPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist), Bansat Singh alias Bachchan ji alias Diwakar ji of the Shashikant alias Arif squad, along with his four associates, following information of Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) Police Headquarters Ranchi, from Duruh Pahari area of Sultani Ghati under Chhatarpur Police Station limits in Palamu District of Jharkhand, reports jagran.com. Superintendent of Police (SP), Chandan Sinha informed that first of all Bachchan and his three associates were arrested, and after this, on the statement of the ‘area commander’, a youth named Irfan was arrested from Kutumba of Aurangabad District of Bihar. As per the Police records, the ‘area commander’ Bachchan was absconding for the last three years. A country-made revolver with three live cartridges and a loaded country-made katta, a mobile and a pamphlet with two diaries have been recovered from the captured Naxalite commander and from his associate Aurangabad resident Sonu Kumar. Bachchan, who was arrested by Palamu Police, had earlier escaped from the custody of the Police during the Covid test after being caught in Dumaria Police Station of Bihar State in Case No. 0-29/2020. During the absconding, he was collecting ‘levy’ (extortion money) for the organization from businessmen, public representatives and contractors. Manatu resident Bachchan is accompanied by Pipra resident Deepak Kumar, Aurangabad's Tandwa resident Guddu Kumar Yadav, and Dev resident Sonu Kumar. There are 8 cases registered against Bachchan in Chhatarpur, Naudiha Bazar, Nawabazar, Pipra, Baya's Bankebazar, Dumaria, Kutumba etc. Police Stations. Read less...

Police arrested a Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) cadre identified as Lalu Yadav who was an expert in making and planting bombs from his village Gere in the Kunda Block (administrative division) in Chatra District of Jharkhand on January 10, reports lagatar24.com. Superintendent of Police (SP), Rakesh Ranjan confirmed his arrest and said the Police was behind him since 2015. Notably, Lalu was known as a bomb planner as well as a courier of the Maoists. He was part of the explosive team of the outfit, and was also known as an expert in making bombs for the outfit. He was also an expert in planting bombs and targeting Police parties. In 2015, he planted bombs on the Hesatu-Dundu Road which was to be used by Security Forces (SFs). But timely information had made the Police diffuse bombs foiling the plan of Maoists. Read less...

Six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during a search and encounter with Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Chaibasa town in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 11, reports ptcnews.tv. "Six personnel of CRPF's elite COBRA [Commando Battalion for Resolute Action] battalion were injured on Wednesday in a bomb blast after an encounter with the outlawed CPI(Maoist) at Tumbahaka forest in Jharkhand's Naxal-affected West Singhbhum district," a senior Police official said. According to the Police, when the Security Forces (SFs) approached, the Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) opened fire. "This prompted the security forces to retaliate and the Naxals were forced to retreat triggering the blast. A massive search operation is on to track down the extremists," the Police added. Read less...

A gunfight broke out between Security Forces (SFs) and Naxals [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] on the outskirts of Ranchi city on January 12, reports Business Standard. Acting on a tip-off that five members of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), were in a forest in the Budmu Police Station area, a search operation was started around 3.30 pm, and seeing the SFs, a gunfight broke out between the Naxals and the forces. "However, the extremists escaped taking advantage of the forest," Superintendent of Police (Ranchi-Rural) Naushad Alam said. A rifle and live bullets were seized from the area, he added. Read less...

Three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Sarjan Buru Forest area under Tonto Police Station in Chaibasa in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 12, reports The New Indian Express. “Same operation was being continued on Thursday following the blast on Wednesday, during which, an IED triggered by the Maoists injured three of our CoBRA jawans,” said Chaibasa Superintendent of Police (SP), Ashutosh Shekhar, adding that all the three were airlifted to Ranchi and admitted to Medica Hospital for better treatment. Notably, six personnel of the CoBRA battalion were also injured on January 11, in an IED blast triggered by the Maoists at the same Forest area when a joint team of CRPF’s elite CoBRA battalion, Jharkhand Jaguar of the State Police and the District Armed Police were conducting anti-Maoist operation in the forests. The incident was reported by SATP on January 12. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) triggered three Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 13, when Security Forces (SFs) were carrying out search operations but nobody was injured in the explosions, reports Outlook India. Superintendent of Police (SP), Ashutosh Shekhar said the SFs were carrying out search operations in Tumbahaka Forest when the IEDs exploded, however, all the personnel of law enforcing agencies were safe and no injury was reported in the incident. Read less...

The Police arrested Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) ‘commander’ Krishna Hansda aka Avinash aka Saurabh, who was carrying a bounty of INR 1.5 million on his head, and was wanted in several cases in Giridih District of Jharkhand on January 13, reports newsroomodisha.com. Hansda, who hails from Pirtand block, was arrested during a joint operation by the paramilitary forces and the Police at Fatehpur under Dumri Police Station limits in the district, Police said, adding that many weapons were recovered from Hansda. Read less...

A large quantity of explosives suspected to have been kept hidden by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) were seized by security personnel in Dumka District of Jharkhand on January 15, reports The Print. Superintendent of Police (SP), Ambar Lakra said acting on a tip-off a massive search operation was jointly conducted by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and District Armed Police (DAP) on January 15 and the explosives hidden underneath the soil in Karkatta pahad was seized. The seized explosives included 200 gelatine pieces, 411 pieces of detonators, codex wire, 18 pieces of People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) badges, 31 pieces Mao badges, and 27 number ‘Naya Prabhat’ (naxal book), SP said. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of IPC, UPA Act, and Explosive Substances Act, the SP added. Read less...

Four cadres of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), were arrested from Tandwa block under Simaria subdivision in Chatra District of Jharkhand on January 15, reports newsnationtv.com. The arrested militants identified as Santosh Ram from Simaria, Shiv Shankar Bharti from Tandwa, Nandlal Bharti from Simaria and Mohammad Noman from Badhar, are residents of Rajpur Police Station area, were trying to collect ‘levy’ (extortion money) by spreading terror in Koyalanchal area in Chatra and Hazaribagh District. A few days ago, the arrested cadres had demanded a ‘levy’ of INR 10 million over the phone from the LNT company operating in Hazaribagh, and the company officials were warned of dire consequences for not paying the ‘levy’. Apart from this, an attempt was also made by these extremists to spread terror by pasting posters of extremist organization TSPC in other areas including Tandwa and Simaria of Chatra and Keredari Police Station area of Hazaribagh District. Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Ranjan had formed a special team launched a special campaign against the militants and arrested them red-handed while pasting the poster of the organization. Two motorcycles of the Naxalites used for pasting posters, nine mobile phones of different companies used for demanding ‘levy’, 525 posters of TSPC and laptop of printing press used for designing posters have been recovered from their possession. Read less...

The Jharkhand Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) team arrested a teacher with 150 live bullets on a tip-off from Koderma District of Jharkhand on January 15, reports lagatar24.com. The ATS claimed that he was the man supplying arms to different Naxal [Left Wing Extremist, LWE] outfits in the State. The arrested suspect identified as Ravi Prajapati of Barhi in Hazaribagh is a teacher in the area who runs a coaching institute near Hanuman Mandir in Barhi. Police officials said that ATS got a tip-off about a supplier who received a consignment of bullets from Nalanda in Bihar and was coming to Jharkhand via Koderma. The ATS alerted Koderma Police following which Ravi was found and arrested near the Baghitand checkpost in Koderma, along with the consignment of bullets. During interrogation, Ravi admitted to supplying bullets to Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). Later, a team also searched his house in Barhidih village in Barhi. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has announced Jharkhand bandh (general shut down) on 22 January 22, in protest against the arrest of Krishna Hansda alias Saurabh, a ‘regional committee member, (RCM)’ of the Maoist organization and carrying a reward of INR 1.5 million, reports lagatar.in on January 18. The bandh has been announced by the ‘spokesman’ of CPI-Maoist Jharkhand Regional Committee, Azad by issuing a press statement saying that on January 13, CPI-Maoist Jharkhand RCM cum North Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee ‘secretary’ Krishna Hansda was arrested by the Police and paramilitary forces from Fatehpur village of Dumri along with another accomplice, Renuka Murmu, who was arrested from Chaparia village under Jasidih Police Station area of Deoghar. Both of them are being harassed in the name of questioning to know the secrecy of the party. It has been said in the release that hospital, ambulance, milk, water, newspapers, medical services will be kept free from the bandh. Read less...

Cadres of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), set ablaze two vehicles of the contract company engaged in the work of railway doubling near Odga Railway Station in Simdega District of Jharkhand on January 18, reports prabhatkhabar.com. The extremists also left a pamphlet and have warned that the same result will be meted out if the work is done without taking the permission of the outfit. Read less...

An exchange of fire between the Security Forces (SFs) and cadres of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), took place in the Manatu Police Station area in Palamu District of Jharkhand on January 19, reports ommcomnews.com. The Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had received information that a squad of TSPC’s top ‘commander’ Shashikant had been seen in the area, following which they were conducting a search operation there. Police said the Maoists escaped through the forest and there is a possibility of some of them being injured. District Superintendent of Police (SP), Chandan Kumar Sinha said that the clash continued for about 15 to 20 minutes. The Police have recovered many items from the spot, including an air gun. Read less...

A trooper of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), suffered serious injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast, suspected to have been triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, in Tumbahaka forest in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 20, reports The New Indian Express. Acting on inputs from the Maoist movement, security personnel, including personnel of the CoBRA battalion and the Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ), along with Policemen, were carrying out a combing operation in Tumbahaka Forest, when the explosive went off, injuring one of them, Superintendent of Police (SP), Ashutosh Shekhar said. According to the SP, the Police had information about the presence of top Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra alias Sagar da, Patiram Manjhi alias Ramesh Da alias Anal da and Asim Mandal alias Manoj da alias Akash da, in the area, and had accordingly launched an operation to arrest them. The operation was also aimed at inculcating confidence among villagers, ahead of a 24-hour Jharkhand bandh (general shut down) called by Maoists on January 22, in protest against the arrest of Krishna Hansda, a Jharkhand ‘regional committee member (RCM)’ of the CPI-Maoist, from Giridih District, he added. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet before the NIA Special Court, Ranchi, Jharkhand on January 20, against two accused, identified as Tarun Kumar and Pradyuman Sharma, in a case related to funding to the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), reports The Pioneer. The case relates to a conspiracy hatched by the members of CPI-Maoist for its revival in the Magadh Zone and to raise funds for the organization. The case was suo-moto registered by the NIA on December 30, 2021. Read less...

An encounter took place between the Police and cadres of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), near Bangur Forest near Diki Lata village in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 22, reports prabhatkhabar.com. On the information about the arrival of a group of PLFI ‘area commander’ Rode and Lambu near Diki Lata village, the Police launched a search operation. On seeing the Police, the cadres started firing and in retaliation, the Police also exchanged fire. The PLFI cadres fled towards the forest as soon as the Police overpowered them. After the encounter, the Police recovered a rifle, magazine, four live bullets, torch and items of daily use from the spot. Read less...

Police killed Vishal Sahu, an ‘area commander’ of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), in an encounter in Mudla Toli in Thakurgaon in Ranchi District of Jharkhand on January 23, reports samacharplusjhbr.com. Vishal's squad had reached Thakur village (Thakurgaon) area to collect ‘levy’ (extortion money) from a businessman. Following information, the Police laid siege, then the militants started firing on the Police, and Vishal was killed in retaliatory action, while the rest of Vishal's squad managed to escape. Read less...

A boy was injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) exploded near Arahasa village under Goilkera Police Station in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on January 24, reports mid-day.com. The incident occurred when the 13-year-old, boy, who was on his way to a market, came under the impact of the blast triggered by the Maoists near Arahasa village, Officer-in-Charge of Goilkera Police Station, Rahul Singh said. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) ‘commander’ Naveen Yadav aka Sarvjit Yadav, accused of killing 48 Police and Security Force (SF) personnel in Jharkhand and Bihar, reportedly surrendered at an undisclosed location and is now in Police custody, reports ommcomnews.com on January 25. Yadav, a resident of Bashutta village in Chatra District of Jharkhand, till recently was active in Buddha Pahad, and the Government had declared a reward of INR 2.5 million on him. Yadav has been a member of the regional committee of the Maoists, and was involved in most of the Maoist attacks in Jharkhand’s Palamu, Latehar, Chatra, and Garhwa and Bihar’s Aurangabad, Gaya Districts, among others in the last decade. More than 60 cases are registered against him in different Police Stations of the States. Read less...

‘Sub-zonal commander' of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), Tilkeshwar Gop alias Rajesh Gop, a close aide of PLFI ‘supremo’ Dinesh Gop, with INR 1 million head bounty, and another cadre identified as Suraj Gop, has been arrested by the Police from Anagadha area under Tatisilve Police Station area in Ranchi District of Jharkhand on January 25, reports jantaserishta.com. Tilakeshwar, a resident of Kinutoli Bakaspur under Karra Police Station area of Khunti, was wanted by the Police of many districts including Ranchi for a long time. One rifle, 303 country-made gun, including 10 bullets, many things including PLFI's form have been recovered from them. Read less...

A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, has been killed during an encounter that took place between Security Forces (SFs) and Maoists at Kari Mandar village under Kunda Police Station limits in Chatra District of Jharkhand on January 28, reports jantaserishta.com. Chatra's Superintendent of Police (SP), Rakesh Ranjan said that the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the District Force personnel, who were on an anti-Naxal [Left Wing extremism, LWE] operation, had an encounter with the squad of Maoist ‘commander’ Manohar Ganjhu, carrying a reward of INR 1.5 million. After the encounter which lasted for almost an hour, the Maoists fled into the forests. Read less...

Cadres of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), and Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ) and Ranchi Police exchanged fire in the Sumu Forest of Budhmu area in Ranchi District of Jharkhand on January 29, reports prabhatkhabar.com. 40 rounds of bullets were fired from both sides. It is said that the TSPC squad included ‘zonal commander’ Vikram Mahto, Gurudev, Ramgarh ‘area commander’ Ranjit Mahto and Vinod Mahto alias Murari and other militants, who had come to collect ‘levy’ (extortion money) from the brick kiln operators, were involved in the encounter. However, seeing the Police being overwhelmed, the extremists fled. In the search operation after the encounter, the Police recovered 777 cartridges, seven walkie-talkies, two pouches for keeping cartridges etc., from the encounter site. Read less...

A self-styled ‘sub-zonal commander’ of Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Anil Bhuiyan alias Prakash ji alias Jai Prakash ji alias Omprakash, surrendered before the Police in Palamu District of Jharkhand on January 31, reports The Print. Bhuiyan, a resident of Dokra village in Chainpur area, was wanted in three criminal cases, laid down his country-made pistol and two cartridges before Superintendent of Police (SP), Chandan Kumar Sinha, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Commandants. He was involved in extortion, firing on a Police team and torching vehicles besides possessing firearms illegal, the SP said, adding he had joined the outfit six years ago. Read less...