Maoist Insurgency: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2022

Three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing five kilograms each were recovered during a joint search operation by Police and central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel foiling a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) plot to target the Security Forces (SFs) deep in the Matkar Forest in Chaibasa in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on May 1, reports kolkatatv.org. The IEDs planted in the forest to cause harm to SFs, were defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) on the spot. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed a village Kotwar (village Chowkidar) identified as Lakhma Markam with a sharp-edged weapon in Gudse village under Katekalyan Police Station limits in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on May 1, reports The Times of India. Lakhma of Gudse village in Kalarpara, was working outside his house on May 1 when he suddenly went missing. The family assumed he would have gone to the forest but his body was recovered on May 2 morning near the village. By the pattern of murder, it appears to be the task of Maoists, Police said, adding that as the village 'Kotwar' he was involved in development activities in the village, against which he had earlier been warned by the Maoists. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) pamphlets were recovered from Jayashankar Bhupalpally District of Telangana on May 1, reports ntnews.com. The Maoist pamphlets are causing a stir, demanding payment of INR 3 per bundle of leaves in Kanukunur, Pegadapalli and Reddipalli villages in the Mahamutharam zone in the district. The pamphlet states that the summer season has come for many years and the tribals and common people have been living by believing in Tunikaku, but so far it has not crossed two rupees per bundle and in some areas, they are paying only INR1.50. Read less...

The ‘secretary’ of the Kalahandi Area Committee of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) identified as Laxman Apka alias Lalsu, carrying a cash reward of INR 500,000 on his head surrendered before the Police at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi District of Odisha on May 1, reports Hindustan Times. Lalsu had joined the Maoists in 2009 at Chhattisgarh, but shifted to Niyamagiri in Kalahandi in 2011. Since then, he was working in Karlapat area as ‘Area Committee Member (ACM)’ and was later promoted to ‘Area Committee Secretary (ACS)’. He was involved in at least five encounters with the Police between 2016 and 2020. These encounters occurred at Manaska, Barangpadar, Turkey, Kotalghati and Sohespadar, stated a release by Kalahandi Police. Read less...

A 25-year-old villager identified as Satyam Pulse was stabbed to death by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 4, reports devdiscourse.com. The Maoists had abducted two persons from Guddipal village under Usoor Block (administrative division) on May 3 evening and later killed one of them after holding a 'Jan Adalat' (People's/ Kangaroo Court organized by the Maoists), a Modakpal Police Station official said. The deceased has been identified as Satyam Pulse while a villager, Bhima, has been released, the official said. Read less...

A District Reserve Guards (DRG) head constable was killed in an encounter with Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in Tulargufa Forest area in Mungeri region under Chhotedonger Police Station limits in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on May 4 morning, reports The Times of India. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sundarraj Pattilingam, said, the shooting exchange took place at around 8:15 am [IST] in forests of Tulargufa and Mungeri region at Chhotedonger. A joint team of Security Forces (SFs) including DRG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were on search operation along the borders of Palli-Barsoor area of Narayanpur-Dantewada districts on May 3. Next morning on May 4, when the troopers marched towards the Mungeri forest area, the Maoists started indiscriminate firing seeing the SFs and during the exchange the fire, DRG head constable Salik Ram Markam (37), from Kanker District, sustained bullet injuries and later succumbed to his injuries. Read less...

A trooper of the elite C60 commando unit of Gadchiroli Police sustained bullet injury on his right leg during an encounter with the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) inside the forest near Dhodraj village in Bhamragarh Tehsil (revenue unit) in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra early on May 3 morning, reports The Times of India. Superintendent of Police (SP), Ankit Goyal said the trooper was injured during a search operation inside the forest following an input of some Maoist presence in that locality. "It's too early to comment but the firing likely to have taken place suddenly. There was no Maoist ambush as such it seemed," he said. Read less...

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has opened 20 new security camps in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States in the past six months, according to a senior CRPF official, reports The Hindu on May 4. Eight such camps have been operationalized in Chhattisgarh, four each in Jharkhand and Odisha, one each in Maharashtra and Bihar and two in Telangana. CRPF is one of the largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) deployed in LWE areas to assist the State Police in conducting operations against the Maoists. After the April 3, 2021 incident where 22 security personnel were killed in a Maoist ambush at Tarrem in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister (CM) Bhupesh Baghel had said that more security camps would be established in the LWE affected areas at a rapid pace. As many as 14 of the 27 Districts in Chhattisgarh are affected by LWE violence, one of the worst affected States. The camps or Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) help in area domination and security operations can be launched faster. Read less...

Laka Pahan, the ‘secretary’ of south Chhotanagpur Regional Committee of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), was killed in an encounter in the Kota Indipidi Forest area under Murhu Police Station limits in Khunti District of Jharkhand on May 4, reports devdiscourse.com. The District Armed Police (DAP) and Special Assault Team (SAT) were on an anti-Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] operation in the area when a group of extremists led by Pahan opened fire at them, forcing the Security Force (SF) personnel to retaliate in self-defence, Superintendent of Police (SP), Aman Kumar said, adding, Pahan was killed in the gunfight, while other members of the group managed to flee in the forest. Over 40 cases were registered against Pahan, the SP said, adding, he was the ‘sub-zonal commander’ of PLFI and recently elevated to the post of ‘secretary’. The District Police had recommended a bounty of INR 500,000 on Pahan, and it was pending with the Home Department. Read less...

A high alert has been sounded in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected Bastar division following intelligence inputs from security agencies, which revealed that Chhattisgarh tops a list of five States where Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) are planning a massive assault as part of a ‘Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC)’ that is underway from March and likely to last till June, reports Goa Chronicle. “In view of the threat perception, Central Armed Police Forces and state personnel have stepped up vigil. Autumn and summer constitute ‘prime time’ for rebel attacks and the maximum action is witnessed in Bastar. This has been the annual trend since 2006,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sundarraj Pattilingam, confirmed on May 4. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leaders BG Krishnamurthy and Savithri, who were in judicial custody, were brought before a court in Karkala on May 4, in connection with pending investigation into cases filed against them at Karkala rural, Hebri and Ajekar Police Stations, and they were sent to Police custody for 12 days for questioning, reports The New Indian Express. A senior officer said that the accused were sent to Police custody in connection with 13 cases against them in three Police Stations under Karkala sub-division in Udupi District. In November last year, the Maoist duo Krishnamurthy and Savithri were arrested and were later moved to Viyyur central prison in Thrissur, sources said. They are charged with spreading Maoist ideology, possession of weapons, weapon training and unlawful assembly to launch an armed agitation. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) wall posters found in the G. Madugula Mandal (administrative sub division) in Alluri Sitarama Raju District of Andhra Pradesh on May 4. Wall posters bearing the name of Ganesh, ‘secretary’ of the Awobi Special Zonal Committee, said that on the occasion of Alluri's death on May 7, they would lift their sacrifices and hold rallies in the villages against State violence against the tribals. He said that imperialism and the dictatorship should be part of the new democratic revolution aimed at eradicating the tyrannical big landlords. Bauxite extraction in Manipur again infuriated the Governments who were trying to evict the people from the hard-earned coffee plantations. He said the ruling classes were dreaming of continuing their exploitation by eradicating the Maoist party. The Maoist Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) has called on the people to be partners in building a society free of exploitation. Read less...

The Central Government of India has approved for diversion of forest land for the development of infrastructure in 34 Districts of eight States affected by Left-wing extremism (LWE), reports interviewtimes.net on May 5. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted its approval for infrastructure-related projects in 14 categories for the development of the areas. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its annual report 2020-2021 stated that the projects can be taken up in 34 LWE-affected Districts. Earlier the Centre had approved the diversion of five hectares of forest land which has been increased to 40 hectares. The projects include schools, dispensaries, hospitals, electrical and telecommunication lines, drinking water, water and rain harvesting structures, minor irrigation canals, non-conventional sources of energy, skill up-gradation and vocational training centres as well as rural roads. The Districts are located in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has given a call to boycott the Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) election since “the condition of rural people remains the same despite several elections”, reports The Times of India on May 5. The CPI-Maoist Southern Zonal Committee (SZC) ‘spokesman’ Ashok on May 4 said the real beneficiaries of the elections would be the ‘Mukhiyas’ (village heads) the ‘pramukhs’, and the Zilla Parishad (District Council) members who would get salary and huge funds in the name of development. He urged the villagers to ask the candidates about the shortage of basic facilities in rural areas. “People should ask them why the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Area) act has not been implemented? Why is there a scarcity of drinking water? Why there are no primary health centres? Why irrigation facilities are poor? Why is the number of schools and teachers inadequate? And, why are the state forces setting up camps in villages without the permission of gram sabhas?” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Operations, Amol Homkar said, “We have learnt about the Maoists’ call. They have done so in the past too.” Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started an investigation into the plans of arrested Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leader Vijay Kumar Arya (60) to revive the activities of the CPI-Maoist in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, reports Hindustan Times on May 5. Allegedly, the Bihar Police arrested Arya, a ‘Central Committee (CC)’ member of the outfit, from Samahuta in Rohtas District of Bihar on April 13. NIA took over the probe into the activities of Arya and his associates of reviving Maoist insurgency by recruiting new members and collecting levies, etc. In its First Information Report (FIR) filed last week, NIA named Rajesh Gupta, Umesh Chaudhary, Anil Yadav, and Rupesh Kumar Singh along with Arya. The Bihar Police recovered electronic gadgets such as hard disks, pen drives, letterheads, and levy receipts from Arya, who was arrested on the basis of inputs from the central and state intelligence agencies about the presence of top Maoist leaders in Bihar’s Shahabad and Magadh zones. Read less...

Three cadres of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), were arrested with arms and ammunition in Khunti District of Jharkhand on May 5, reports The Print. Acting on a tip-off, three cadres of the PLFI were arrested from Rohne-Champabaha forest in Tapkara Police Station area, Police said, adding, a rifle, three cartridges, three mobile phones and a motorcycle were seized from them. Among the arrested are Govind Majhi, an active member of PLFI, and his two associates. Six cases were pending against Majhi, Superintendent of Police (SP), Aman Kumar said. Read less...

A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre, identified as Shankar Yadav, was arrested by the Security Forces (SFs) from Jhajha bus stand under Chakai Police Station limits in Jamui District of Bihar on May 6, reports jagran.com. According to Police, on the directions of the Commandant Brijesh Singh Pratihar of the 16th Corps of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Superintendent of Police (SP), Jamui, Shaurya Suman, a continuous raid was being conducted to arrest Shankar, a resident of Chilkakhar under Charkapathar Police Station limits. Shankar along with his accomplices was involved in the murder of Arjun Hembram and his son Chatur Hembram while sleeping in Barjor village under Bongi Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) on the night of August 25, 2021, and left a pamphlet poster alleging that they were ‘police informers’. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) Party Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) ‘spokesperson’ Vikalp stated that the Maoists were always ready for peace talks with the Chhattisgarh Government but the onus of creating a conducive atmosphere to-that-end lies on the Government, reports Telangana Today on May 7. Vikalp said this was in response to a reported statement by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who on April 8 said the Government was ready to hold talks with the Maoists if they express their faith in the Constitution of India and quit the arms. In a statement released to the media in Bhadradri Kothagudem on May 6, Vikalp said it was ridiculous to state that the Government was ready for peace talks while continuing attacks on Maoists and tribal hamlets employing armed forces, Army and carrying out aerial bombing with military drones. Referring to Baghel’s appeal to the Maoists to express faith in the Constitution, Vikalp alleged that it was the Government that had been violating the Constitution’s Preamble, the 5th Schedule and Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) PESA Act. The Government wants to hand over mineral wealth in the forests to corporate and capitalist forces. For that the State and Central Government deployed huge numbers of armed forces and set up Police camps in the interiors of the forests, Vikalp complained. Spelling out the terms of the talks, Vikalp demanded the Baghel Government to withdraw the Police forces deployed in the forests in the Bastar and stop aerial bombing. He also wanted the release of Maoist leaders lodged in different jails to take part in peace talks. Read less...

The killing of tribal people after branding them as ‘police informers’ and the harassment and suppression of the Dalam (armed squad) members hailing from various tribal groups are the prime reasons behind the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) losing base in Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring States, said Andhra Pradesh, Director General of Police (DGP), K.V. Rajendranath Reddy on May 6, reports The Hindu. “The efforts of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee [AOBSZC] of the CPI (Maoist) to convert the cut-off area into a guerrilla war zone have fallen flat,” he said. “At present, there are 48 members of the Andhra Pradesh cadre in the CPI (Maoist). While 18 of them are in Andhra Pradesh, the remaining are working at various levels in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana,” DGP, Reddy said. DGP, Reddy further said that the Maoists who had surrendered in the last few months admitted that the ideology of the CPI-Maoist was fast fading and that many tribal leaders and Dalam members left the movement due to the “stepmotherly treatment and harassment by the leaders of the upper caste”. A surrendered Maoist had said he joined the movement as Adivasis were being suppressed, but was bewildered on seeing the exploitation of the tribal people by the CPI-Maoist. Top Maoist leaders such as Chikkudu Chinna Rao, Jalandhar Reddy and Killo Raju, who had surrendered, confirmed that tribal Dalam members were being harassed by the upper caste leaders in the party. In the last year, the strength of the Maoists declined from 100 to about 50. The People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), an armed wing of the CPI-Maoist, had fallen silent due to a decline in its cadre. “In 2019, there were eight Area Committees — Kalimela, Nandapur, Coffee Dalam, Narayanpatna, Gumma, Galikonda, Pedabayalu and Boipariguda. But only four exist now. Only two divisional committees — Visakha East and Malkangiri-Koraput — are active on the borders,” the DGP said, adding, “Due to intensified combing operation, six important members, including two DCMs [Divisional Committee Members] and two ACMs [Area Committee Members] died in an exchange of fire. About 42 Maoists were arrested and 17 had surrendered in the last one year.” Read less...

Two Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres identified as Madkam Jitendra alias Sanna and Gadpa Nagesh, involved in several incidents of violence and carrying a collective reward of INR 300,000 on their heads surrendered in Sukma District Chhattisgarh on May 6, reports Telangana Today. Sukma Superintendent of Police (SP), Sunil Sharma said, Madkam was the Maoists’ Military Platoon No-30 member under the Kerlapal Area Committee of the CPI-Maoist and carried a reward of INR 200,000 on his head. Gadpa was the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan’s (DAKMS) Bodkel Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) ‘president’, the officer said, adding that he carried a bounty of INR 100,000 on his head. The duos were involved in firing at Police personnel, planting Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and several Maoist violence incidents, he added. Read less...

Two most wanted Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres were arrested and five other extremists of different cadres of the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) surrendered before the Police at Mangalagiri in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh on May 6, reports The Hindu. Director-General of Police (DGP) K.V. Rajendranath Reddy said, disillusioned with Maoist party activities and attracted to the new surrender and rehabilitation policy being implemented by the Government, the Maoists decided to shun violence and join the mainstream. The arrested cadres were identified as Korra Nageswara Rao alias Nagesh alias English Master, ‘Area Committee Member (ACM)’ of Pedabayalu-Korukonda area committee; and Seendri Jagan, party member of Galikonda Area Committee. The surrendered extremists included Killo Raju alias Pedapadu Raju, party member Seendri Mohan alias Jambri, of Galikonda Area Committee, Vanthala Bhaskar alias Jattu, party members of Galikonda Area Committee, Gemmili Kesu alias Pamurai Kesu and Vanthala Krishna, both militia members of the same committee, the DGP said. The Maoists were tribal people and natives of Chintapalli, Koyyuru and G.K. Veedhi Mandals (administrative sub divisions) of Alluri Sitharama Raju District, and were reportedly wanted in many cases of exchange of fires, murders and blasting incidents, DGP, Reddy said. Of the arrested Maoists, Nageswara Rao was involved in about 150 cases in the last 20 years, and was carrying a reward of INR 400,000 on his head, while Jagan wanted in 39 cases, including exchange of fire incidents in Theegalametta, Palasamudram and Annavaram forests, carried a reward of INR 100,000 on his head. Police recovered a pistol, six rounds of bullets, man pack and other material from Nageswara Rao. Of the surrendered Maoists, Raju, Mohan and Bhaskar were carrying a reward of INR 100,000 each on their heads. Read less...

An encounter is reported to be going on between the Security Force (SF) personnel and the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in the inner forests of Muler in Phoolbagdi area under Aranpur Police Station limits in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on May 7 (today), reports naidunia.com. District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel have surrounded the Maoists, and the encounter is going on, Superintendent of Police (SP), Siddharth Tiwari said. There is information about the presence of top-ranking Maoist ‘commanders’ on the spot. At present there is no report of any casualty, at the time of writing the report. Read less...

Nearly a month after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister (CM) Bhupesh Baghel invited the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) to peace talks, the insurgents have said they are willing to sit across a table but have set stiff riders — revoke the ban on CPI-Maoist and its frontal organisations, release all jailed leaders and withdraw all Security Forces (SFs) from Bastar division, reports The Times of India on May 8. Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, however, clarified that there can be no conditions for peace talks. Security agencies see it as a sign that Maoists are feeling the pressure of the two-pronged strategy — aggressive counter-insurgency operations and a slew of welfare measures — while Bastar Police said it’s merely a ruse by the Maoists. CM, Baghel said: “Naxalites should express their faith in the Constitution of India, and then we are ready to talk with them on any platform.” A statement released by Vikalp, Maoist ‘spokesperson’ for Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), is circulating on social media. It refers to CM Baghel’s offer of talks but alleges that it’s the Government that is “violating the constitutional rights of people”. “We have already responded to the CM’s talks offer. We will always be ready for talks on certain conditions that the government creates a conducive environment for it,” the statement read. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has faced its biggest setback in recent times with security agencies informing the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) that eight ‘Central Committee (CC)’ members have been neutralised in last nine months, reports The Week on May 9. This makes up for one third of the total strength of the apex policy making body of the outfit. Five other ‘CC’ members were arrested in Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam and Kerala, based on months-long intelligence operations. Intelligence officials said the losses have lent a psychological blow to the outfit. It began with arrest of Prashant Bose alias Kishan da, a ‘politburo’ member and second in the Maoist hierarchy, by Jharkhand Police last year (2021). He was heading the eastern zone and had remained elusive for over forty years. He was arrested along with his wife and ‘CC’ member Sheela Marandi. Prashant Bose was also guiding efforts of the outfit to revive overground activity in northern parts of the country. Subsequently, Kanchan alias Jyotish, another ‘CC’ member was arrested by Assam Police—a significant setback to the outfit since he had been especially sent from Jharkhand to Assam in 2019 to revive party activities in the state and was active in setting up secret cells and frontal organisations, said intelligence sources. Kanchan had also been evading arrest for decades. Prior to his arrest, his real name was believed to be Ranjit Bose, but was discovered to be Arun Bhattacharjee on arrest. Another ‘CC’ member, Mithilesh Mehta alias Bhikhari ji, who was leading the party in Western Jharkhand from his base at Burha Pahar was arrested in Bihar. He had rejoined the outfit in 2018 soon after being released from prison after eleven years. Meanwhile, B.G. Krishnamurthy, the ‘CC’ member heading the outfit at the Kerala-Karnataka-Tamil Nadu (KKT) tri-junction, was arrested on the Kerala-Karnataka border. Further, Milind Teltumbde ‘CC’ member, who was leading the expansion efforts of the outfit at the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh tri-junction died in an encounter with Maharashtra Police on November 13, 2021, the first death of a ‘CC’ member in an encounter since 2016. Two ‘CC’ members, Akkiraju Hargopal alias RK and Yapa Narayan Rao alias Haribhushan died in the forests on account of medical ailments and reluctance of senior leaders of the outfit to venture into urban areas for fear of arrest. UMHA officials said the loss of senior Maoist leaders has created a leadership vacuum in the outfit. The government is hoping that in the absence of a credible second rung leadership and the extension of the security grid in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) theatre, it will be able to disconnect the Maoist movement from the local population in all regions barring Chhattisgarh. “Even there, security forces have now reached areas, which were regarded as Maoist strongholds,” said an UMHA official. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Andhra Pradesh have appealed to the public in Visakhapatnam District to condemn the alleged extortion activities by former Maoists Mahesh and Kumari, reports The Times of India on May 9. A letter released by Aruna, ‘secretary’ of CPI-Maoist’s Visakha-East Division Committee, states that Mahesh and Kumari worked for the outfit for a few years. However, the former Maoists have taken to working against the outfit. If the extortion continues, the party will teach them a lesson, Aruna added. Read less...

There has been a significant decline in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Andhra Pradesh (AP) in the last one year, both in terms of incidents and its geographical spread, according to the AP Police, reports The Indian Express on May 9. The LWE-related activities in the State have largely been confined to Alluri Sitharama Raju, the new District carved out of Paderu division of Visakhapatnam District and Rampachodavaram division of East Godavari District, with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre operating in the belt declining from 100 to 48 now, said AP, Director General of Police (DGP), K V Rajendranath Reddy. The Maoist military formations responsible for their guerrilla actions saw a sharp reduction from 2 companies comprising a total of 50 members to a mere platoon with 10 members in the last one year, as per information gathered by the State Police’s Special Intelligence Branch (SIB). The DGP said that while there used to be 8 Maoist ‘Area Committees’ — in Kalimela, Narayanpatna, Nandapur, Coffee Dalam, Galikonda, Pedabayalu, Gumma and Boipariguda — in early 2019, their tally has now dropped to 4 ‘Area Committees’ — in Galikonda, Pedabayalu-Korukonda, Gumma, and Boipariguda — along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB). According to the AP Police officials, only 2 ‘Divisional Committees’ — Visakha East and Malkangiri-Koraput Border — 4 Area Committees — Galikonda, Pedabayalu, Gumma, and Boipariguda — and 1 military platoon of left extremists are active in the AOB region now. They said ‘Central Committee (CC)’ member Gajarla Ravi alias Uday is the lone highest-ranking Maoist member operating in the AOB’s Special Zonal Committee (SZC). The DGP also said that public perception towards Maoists has been changing and they are fast losing their local support due to their “violent activities, killing of innocent tribals branding them as police informers, and obstruction of road construction and other developmental activities in interior areas”. Read less...

Bankura Police arrested Sanjeev Majumder (35) on charges of being involved in Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) activities, from Ghola under Barahanagar Police Station limits in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal on May 9, reports anandabazar.com. Several Maoist posters were also recovered from him. Majumder, a resident of Barahanagar Police Station limits in North 24 Parganas, was arrested from his home on May 9 and was taken to Bankura Khatra Court on May 10, the judge ordered seven days Police custody. Assistant Public Prosecutor of Khatra Sub-Divisional Court Sandeep Chakraborty said, “A case has been filed against Sanjeev Majumdar under various sections of treason. He was remanded in police custody for seven days for questioning. The court granted it. " Read less...

Police arrested three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, allegedly involved in an attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) team last month, from a forest area near Empur village under Pamed Police Station limits in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 9 evening, reports The Print. The arrested Maoists were identified as Madvi Bheema (30), Madvi Nanda (27) and Madkam Kosa (25), residents of Pedda Dharmavaram village in Pamed area, who were allegedly part of the Maoist squad that attacked a team of the CRPF near its Dharmavaram camp on April 24 this year. Read less...

The Chhattisgarh High Court on May 11 stayed the enquiry proceedings of a judicial commission newly reconstituted by the State Government, which added new terms of reference to an existing enquiry into the 2013 Jheeram Ghati Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attack that left 28 Congress leaders dead, reports Hindustan Times. A petition was filed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and leader of opposition Dharamlal Kaushik questioning ‘constitutionality’ of the commission on April 13. Kaushik pointed out that the report of the Jheeram Ghati Inquiry Commission headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra should have been tabled in legislative assembly within six months of its submission but without submitting the report, the state government reconstituted the judicial commission. The division bench of chief justice Arup Kumar Goswami and justice RCS Samant has also issued notices to the state government and the judicial commission and sought a reply. “The court after hearing the petition stayed the enquiry proceedings of the reconstituted judicial commission. The court has also sought reply from the state government and judicial commission on the next hearing which is scheduled on July 4,” said Vivek Sharma, Kaushik’s lawyer. Read less...

A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre, identified as Pritlal Marandi, was arrested from Bardonga village under Dumri Block (administrative division) in Giridih District of Jharkhand on May 11, reports prabhatkhabar.com. Pritlal had pasted the posters and appealed to the people to boycott the Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) elections. Police also succeeded in destroying the camp of Maoists with the help of Pritlal, from where a huge quantity of food items have been recovered. Read less...

An exchange of fire took place between Security Forces (SFs) and Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres during a combing operation in Chhatardanda Reserve Forests near Kadalipali village under Tureikela Police Station limits in Bolangir District of Odisha on May 11, reports Pragativadi. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of Maoists of ‘Bargarh-Bolangir-Mahasamund (BBM) division’ in the area, a joint combing operation by the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) was launched in which Police seized three knives, torch lights, shoes and others items used by the Maoists from the spot, Bolangir, Superintendent of Police (SP), Nitin Kusalkar said, adds Sambad. Read less...

Three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, allegedly involved in the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast at Bukintor were arrested in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on May 11, reports The Print. Narayanpur, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sadanand Kumar said those arrested include the main accused, and said, “Three Naxals were arrested by DRG [District Reserve Guards] Narayanpur in connection with IED blast on March 23, 2021 between Camp Kadenar and Kanhargaon in which five jawans were killed. The main accused and mastermind of the incident has been arrested.” The arrested Maoists have been identified as Maniram Darro alias Ranjit, Ramdhar Korram alias Raisingh and Bhagat Korram (40). The Maoists squad blew up a bus carrying the Police personnel near Bukintor village between Kanhargaon and Kadenar using an IED, in which the five Security Force (SF) personnel were killed and 13 others injured in the incident. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) destroyed two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), averting a threat to the lives of Police Forces in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 12, reports Telangana Today. During a combing operation, a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 165th Battalion and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel spotted the IEDs of five kilograms planted on a road leading to Bangoli at Phundri village near an under-construction bridge coming up over the Indravati River under Nelasnar Police Station limits to target the SFs. Later on, a Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) destroyed the IEDs safely by blasting them in an abandoned area. Read less...

The Chhattisgarh Government's decision to recruit tribals as 'Bastar Fighters' will further boost Telangana's efforts to curb Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) activities in areas bordering the neighbouring State, reports The New Indian Express on May 13. The Chhattisgarh Government is all set to recruit 2,100 tribal youth as 'Bastar Fighters'. It may be mentioned here that the Telangana government already has Greyhounds, a Police Force that specialises in counter-insurgency operations against Maoists. According to Sukma, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sunil Sharma, these fighters will be provided with commando and weapons training apart from the stealth walking training. Sharma said that the Chhattisgarh Government’s plan to recruit tribals as 'Bastar Fighters' is aimed at strengthening the existing force to end Maoist menace. "The Bastar Fighters would strengthen the existing force to end the menace of Maoists and tribals would be given top priority while recruiting the Fighters," he said. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on May 12, arrested Anjaneyalu alias Sudhakar alias Anji (36), a resident of Madanapalli in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, in connection with a case pertaining to the recruitment of youths into the proscribed terrorist organization Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), reports The Times of India. Anjaneyalu is accused of organising camps to further the activities of the organization which threatens the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the country. NIA registered a suo-moto case in this connection. NIA said investigation revealed that the arrested person had played an important role in the recruitment of youths into the terrorist organisation. The investigation into the case is on, it added. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on May 12, filed a charge-sheet before a special court in Ranchi District of Jharkhand against 11 accused for their involvement in the supply of arms and ammunition to the armed cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and a gang, reports The Print. Avinash Kumar of Gaya, Rishi Kumar of Patna, Pankaj Kumar Singh of Dhanbad, Kamendra Singh of Burdhawan, Arun Kumar Singh of Saran, Hirla Guman Singh Ucchware, Shivlal Dhawal Singh Chauhan and Kumar Gurlal Ucchware of Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur, Kartik Behera of Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan, Aman Sahu and Sanjay Kumar of Ranchi have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), they said. The case pertains to the pilferage of arms and ammunition and its supply to the armed cadres of CPI-Maoist and the gang of Aman Sahu by the accused who had criminally conspired to use these weapons in executing terrorist attacks on the Security Forces (SFs) and also for the purpose of extortion, an official spokesperson of the NIA said. Read less...

Two cadres of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Martin Dahanga (45) and Joseph Dahanga alias Ravel, have been arrested from Jillingburu forest area under Tapkara Police Station limits in Khunti District of Jharkhand on May 12, reports livehindustan.com. Following information that a squad of PLFI ‘Commander’ Sukhram Gudiya had arrived in Jillingburu forest under Tapkara Police Station area, a search operation was launched to arrest him. However, Sukhram escaped while Martin and Joseph, both residents of Jillingburu School Toli under Jaria Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) in Torpa, were arrested. Police recovered a 12-bore country-made gun, a country-made rifle, two bullets and three donation receipts from the two arrested cadres. Read less...

Two Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including a woman - collectively carrying a reward of INR 1.2 million on their heads and allegedly involved in several incidents of violence in Maharashtra and other States have surrendered before Police in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra on May 12, reports republicworld.com. Kolu alias Vikas alias Sukant Vinod Pada (27), a resident of Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh, and the woman Maoist, Raje alias Debo Jairam Usendi (30), a native of Gadchiroli District, turned themselves in before Superintendent of Police (SP), Ankit Goyal, Police said in a release. The release said the Maharashtra Government had announced a reward of INR 800,000 on Pada's head and INR 400,000 for information on Usendi. Pada joined the CPI-Maoist in September 2010 and later worked as a security guard of Maoists' ‘Central Committee (CC)’ member named Sudhakar, the Police said. Read less...

High alert has been sounded in the inter-State border areas in erstwhile Adilabad District to keep an eye on the movements of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), reports english.sakshi.com on May 14. Police have been carrying out combing operations with the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and dog squad as if there is a possibility of deploying landmines by the Maoists. The Police carried out search operations as a precautionary measure to avoid untoward incidents in the area. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) and District voluntary Force (DVF) personnel have recovered explosive materials which were long hidden underground by cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Panching forest under Narayanpatna Police Station limits in Koraput District of Odisha on May 13, reports Orissa Post. Maoist activities are still going on in some parts of Boipariguda and Machhkund under Lamtaput Block (administrative division) in Koraput District, said Superintendent of Police (SP), Varun Guntupalli said, on recovery of old explosives in a forest. Guntupalli stated that Police received inputs late May 10 night about explosives hidden in forest between Panching and Balpai villages. A team of DVF and an anti-bomb squad jointly carried out a search operation in the area. The Maoists had buried the explosives in the forest many years ago. The Police recovered a CP Riot gun, 38-mm rubber bullet, six packets of liquid explosives (OPR gel) and a pair of cutting pliers. The Riot gun recovered here was one of the arms looted from Koraput armoury in 2004. It may be noted here that Maoists had mounted an attack on the armory February 6, 2004. As many as nine riot guns were looted. Read less...

The targets of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) are the railway stations in Jungle Mahal, stated the report received from the Central Intelligence Agency, reports eisamay.com on May 14. Police conducted a search operation with a mine detector at Shalbani, Garbeta and Chandrakona Road stations in the Jungle Mahal area. It is reported that over the past few days, the activities of the Maoists in the Jungle Mahal area have increased. A few days ago, Jungle Mahal was stopped by the Maoists, from which there is a hint of increase in Maoist activities in the region. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres set ablaze 10 vehicles that were being used for the construction of roads and bridges in Latehar District of Jharkhand on May 14-15, reports The Times of India. The Maoists torched eight vehicles, including excavators and tankers of a construction company, in Baskarcha in Mahuadanr Police Station area on May 14 night, Police said, adding, these vehicles were engaged in the construction of roads in the area. Two more vehicles, including a mixer machine, were set ablaze in Potmadih a while later, Police said, adding that these vehicles were being used for the construction of a bridge. "Maoists took the responsibility for the incident, issuing a leaflet," Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Rajesh Kujur said. The vehicles were burnt over extortion, he said. Read less...

Two Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) personnel have been injured, one being critical, after being hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) suspected to have been planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres to target the Security Forces (SFs), at Hemalapara under Nelasnar Police Station limits in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 14, reports ibc24.in. According to the information received, the CAF personnel had gone out on the area domination towards Hemalapara of Nelasnar. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) base camp at Chennapuram village in Cherla Mandal (administrative sub division) in Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana late on May 15 night, reports The New Indian Express. According to information, at about 9 pm [IST] on May 15, a few Maoists reached Chennapuram base camp where CRPF personnel were stationed and opened two rounds of fire, however, the CRPF personnel, who became alert, returned fire to defend themselves. After the exchange of fire for a few minutes, the Maoists’ escaped. The Police forces immediately launched a search operation to arrest Maoists. It is learnt that the ultras also attacked Thoggudem Police base camp under Pamedu Police Station limits in Khammam District, before attacking on Chennapuram base camp. “The Maoists are opposing the setting up of police base camps in Telangana and Chhattisgarh borders for quite some time now. The attacks are intended to break the nerve of the CRPF personnel and make them shift away from the border,” said one police official. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres reportedly put-up banners for Odisha Bandh (general shutdown strike) on May 20, at different locations in Lathor village under Patnagarh Sub-division in Bolangir District of Odisha, reports sambadenglish.com on May 15. Two Maoists posters were found at Bazaar Pandal between Putkelchuan and Ghunsar located under Khaprakhol Block in Bolangir District May 15 morning. The Maoists called for state-wide shutdown through banners written in Hindi and Odia languages against Police atrocity. Reportedly, the red rebels appealed to civilians to make the bandh successful in the State. As many as 20 red rebels have been gunned down by security personnel in last two years in the State. Protesting the Police atrocity, the Maoists have called for Odisha Bandh on May 20 (Friday), the banners written by CPI-Maoist organisation read. Read less...

Armed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres axed their former colleague Neema Mendhi to death at his village at Mendhri in Etapalli Taluka in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra on May 16, reports The Times of India. The Maoists had claimed in a pamphlet that Mendhi was a ‘police informer’. Mendhi had surrendered a few years ago. Sources said the Maoists were miffed after a ‘section commander’ was neutralized by Police near Gatta a few days ago. The rebels had information about Mendhi’s role behind leaking the ‘commander’s whereabouts to Security Forces (SFs) who could neutralize the ‘section commander’ in an encounter. Read less...

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) Battalion out on the search operation recovered a powerful mortar High Explosive (HE) Bomb, suspected to have been planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, at a distance of 450 meters from the Elmagunda camp in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on May 16, reports livehindustan.com. Later on, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) safely diffused the bomb. According to Police officers, the Maoists are now using more and more Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and pressure bombs to target the Security Forces (SFs). Read less...

A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) couple involved in several deadly attacks and together carrying a reward of INR 700,000 surrendered to Security Forces (SFs) in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on May 17, reports The Pioneer. Hurra Kunjam and his wife Budhari Madvi were disappointed with the Maoist ideology, Dantewada, Superintendent of Police (SP), Siddharth Tiwari said. Kunjam was the ‘Section Commander’ of Platoon 24 under the Malangir Area Committee of the Maoists, while his wife was a member of the same squad, the officer said, adding, the husband and wife carried rewards of INR 500,000 and INR 200,000 on their heads respectively. Read less...

A five Kilogram cooker bomb suspected to have been planted by the cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was detected by the Security Forces (SFs) from Orchha Market under Orchha Police Station limits in Narayanpur District of Chhattisgarh on May 17, reports livehindustan.com. A weekly market is organized every Tuesday in Orchha, and along with the crowd, SF personnel are also present for security in the market. The Maoists had planned the blast at the market area to target the civilians and the soldiers deployed for security. Later on, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) defused by blasting the bomb safely. Read less...

The cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) set ablaze five vehicles including two Poclain, trucks, tractors and other vehicles engaged in road construction work in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra on May 17, reports livehindustan.com. CPI-Maoists also warned the workers not to build the road in Etapalli area under Halewara Police Station limits in Gadchiroli and taken the workers hostage. Read less...

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) posters for Odisha Bandh (general shutdown strike) on May 20, written in Odia language by the ‘Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) Division’ of the CPI-Maoist, were found in the Baliguda and Tumudibandh Police Stations limits in Kandhamal District of Odisha on May 18, 2022, reports The Times of India. Through these posters, the CPI-Maoist called for stringent action against the Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for their alleged involvement in the killing of Mukund Kanhar, a CPI-Maoist sympathizer. Panic gripped the area following the resurfacing of such posters. Earlier, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) had reported that on May 15, 2022, two CPI-Maoist banners were found at Bazaar Pandal between Putkelchuan and Ghunsar located under Khaprakhol Block in Bolangir District. Read less...

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister (CM) Bhupesh Baghel on May 19 said he is open for talks with Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] but the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) must first declare their allegiance to the Indian Constitution, reports The Pioneer. “As a Chief Minister of a state, my allegiance is to the Constitution of India. So, for any constructive talks, the other side should also have total trust and loyalty in the Constitution. It will help in having fruitful talks and a permanent solution,” CM Baghel during a public interaction drive (Bhent-Mulaqat Abhiyan) at Sukma before leaving for Kutru, the border area of the State. The Chief Minister said he was ready to talk even at Sukma or at any place as decided but only after the Naxalites commit to the Constitution. Read less...

K. V. Rajendranath Reddy, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Andhra Pradesh remarked on May 19, 2022 that the ‘Operation Parivarthana’ has hit the extremist activities of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region, reports The Hindu. Earlier, in a joint operation, the Police of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, in association with the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) had launched the ‘Operation Parivarthana’ in November 2021, in which more than 400 teams conducted raids in the forests and destroyed ganja plantations in about 7,500 acres worth more than 9,000 crores in 313 villages in the AOB region. About 1,500 persons involved in the trade arrested and 580 cases registered, says SEB official. ‘Operation Parivarthana’ has impacted on CPI-Maoist movement in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra as Ganja cultivation was among the sources of income for the CPI-Maoists, the DGP said. Read less...

Three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, one of them carrying a cash reward of INR 100,000 on his head, were arrested from two separate places in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 19, reports The Pioneer. While, Badse Budhra (25) and Madvi Bheema (29) were arrested from Putkel village, a lower-rung Maoist, Tulsiram Modiyam (21), was arrested from Pamalvaya village. Badse, who carried a bounty of INR 100,000 on his head, was a Local Organisation Squad (LOS) member while Madvi and Modiyam were militia members in the outlawed Maoist movement, Bijapur, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Pankaj Shukla said, adding that Badse and Madvi were involved in a murder of villager in Timarpur in January this year while Modiyam was involved in abduction, killing and looting incidents. Read less...

A joint operation team of Greyhound troops, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Bn 141 personnel along with District Police arrested one ‘militia deputy commander’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the forests of Chintaguppa under Dummugudem Police Station limits in the Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana on May 20, reports Telangana Today. The arrested ‘deputy commander’ is identified as Madavi Nanda of Tummiripadu under Kistaram Police Station limits in Chhattisgarh, who was working as Revolutionary People’s Committee (RPC) ‘militia deputy commander’ for the past several years. He also worked in Balala Sangham (BS) and Grama Rakshak Dalam (GRD). He makes bharmar, a muzzle loading firearm, to supply to the Maoists, the Bhadrachalam, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Shabarish P said. Madavi was accused of burning of vehicles at Chintaguppa in February 2022, attacking Police base camp at Potakapalli in April, 2022 and attacking Police at Gattupadu under Kistaram Police Station limits in December, 2021. Police recovered one country firearm along with 50 grams gunpowder from Nanda’s possession, ASP said. Read less...

Cadres of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), have issued a decree in Namkum in Ranchi District of Jharkhand, by sending a letter to a young man named Rajan Tirkey on behalf of the organization, to give two AK 47 rifles or INR 2 million for the expansion of the organization, and threatened him to kill if he does not give the ‘levy’ demand, reports hindi.news18.com on May 21. Tirkey lives in Rampur under Namkum Police Station area. Extortion has been sought from him in the name of PLFI, through pamphlets and WhatsApp messages. Tirkey says that when his father Vijay Tirkey retired, he started building 18 shops on the side of the road in Namkum with his retirement money, and since then, the process of harassing has started. Read less...

Five cadres of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC/TPC), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), were arrested along with loaded pistols and country made revolvers from a forest under the Basal outpost Police Station limits in Ramgarh District of Jharkhand on May 20, reports The Times of India. Ramgarh, Superintendent of Police (SP), Prabhat Kumar said, “The arrested TSPC operatives attacked the site of an under-construction bridge on Simara River in Lem village under Basal police outpost limits on the night of May 12 this year and beat up the workers, set construction equipment ablaze and fired in the air to terrorise the construction company and extort money.” An FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC a day later in connection with the crime. Those arrested are identified as Sunil Munda, Abhishek Singh alias Tolu, Vicky Munda alias Bhagat, Abhishek Karmali alias Karu and Rahul Munda, all in the age group of 20 to 25 years. “We seized a loaded pistol, a country made revolver with cartridges, mobile phones and a motorcycle from their possession,” the SP added. Read less...

The cadres of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) created ruckus by blocking the Raipur-Deobhog National Highway (RDNH) number 130 Gariabandh District of Chhattisgarh on May 20, reports livehindustan.com. Maoists had blocked roads at three places by cutting and felling trees between Rajapadav, Kodomali and Dhurvagudi Budgeltappa within a 15-kilometres radius of Mainpur area of the Gariabandh District. The cadres of the Odisha State Committee (OSC) of CPI-Maoist had also thrown pamphlets and put up banners to protest against the installation of tourist places, mobile towers, bridge-culverts, roads and opposing the opening of Police camps. The CPI-Maoist had also called a Bandh (general shutdown strike) on May 20 in Gariabandh, Dhamtari, Kondagaon and Mahasamund Districts of Chhattisgarh to provide electricity, water, hospital, school-college, water for irrigation and uprooting of imperialism, brokers and capitalists who looted the mineral wealth. Read less...

A Constable from the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), identified as Tham Singh, sustained injuries when a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxals exploded in Bijapur District on May 21, reports The Hindu. “The blast took place around 2.40 p.m. between Pandemurga and Bangoli villages under Nelasnar Police Station limits, where a team of the CAF’s 8th battalion was out for an area domination operation,” a senior officer said. Read less...

A team of Special Task Force (STF) arrested Mansoori Devi alias Mansoori Didi, a member of Vaishali Sub-Zonal Committee (VSZC) and Explosive Squad (ES) of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) from her residence located at Ramkrishna Dubiyahi in Jaitpur Out Post (OP) under Saraiya Police Station limits in Muzaffarpur District of Bihar on May 21, reports News18. After preliminary interrogation, STF handed over Mansoori to Kudhni Police, after which she was produced in a special court on May 23. Mansoori came into the limelight in April 2013 after blowing up the base camp of Hari Construction Company near the Turkish Railway station in Kudhni. She was associated with the CPI-Maoist from the year 2011 and was active till 2019. Half a dozen of cases has been registered against Mansoori in different Police Stations of Kudhni, Sakra, Karja, Saraiya and Bagaha in Muzaffarpur District. Mansoori was active in Bagaha and Balmiki Nagar of West Champaran for the last few days, Muzaffarpur, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), said. Read less...

An ‘area committee member (ACM)’ of the ‘Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) Division’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Ashok Pune, surrendered before the Superintendent of Police (SP), Vinit Agarwal, in Kandhamal District of Odisha on May 22, reports The Pioneer. Ashok, a resident of Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh, was involved in many violent activities in Kandhamal District from 2016. The main causes behind his surrender are the anti-people activities and mindless violence of the Maoists, Kandhamal SP said. Read less...

More than 350 bags of tendu (Diospyros Melonoxylon plant) leaves collected by the tribals were set on fire by the cadres of New Democratic Revolution Zindabad (NDRZ) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) at the Dadekasa-Bilal Kasa tendu leaves collection centre under the south forest division of the Lanji Tehsil (revenue unit) in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh on May 22, reports The Times of India. Maoists left a letter at the site, warning that ‘Police informers’ and supporters would have to meet a similar fate. Maoists also demanded to increase the wages of the tribals. There were eight to 10 Maoist cadres in the incident including women. Earlier, a forest guard was killed by the Maoists, and it is a sudden increase in the Maoist activities in Madhya Pradesh, said the Police. Read less...

A local tribal, identified as Kulle Kowasi (42) was killed by a ‘platoon’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) near Doddur village under Etapalli Taluka (administrative division) in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra on May 23, reports The Times of India. Kowasi was abducted and thrashed before being killed. He had been trying to get a road to his village by opposing the Maoists, said the local tribals. Read less...

At least three vehicles engaged in road construction work at Tala Pipili village under Sadar Police Station limits in Kalahandi District of Odisha were allegedly set ablaze by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres late on May 24, reports Odisha TV. The vehicles include a tractor, a JCB machine, and a tipper. A contractor of Bhawanipatna had engaged those vehicles in the construction work. However, the Maoists set the vehicles on fire alleging low quality work. Read less...

Five kilograms of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), was recovered during a search operation by the ‘D Company of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 206 Corps’ between Elmagunda and Minpa in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on May 24, reports livehindustan.com. Between Elmagunda and Minpa in Sukma district, the Maoists had conspired to carry out a major incident by planting an IED to target the Security Force (SFs), which was foiled by the search team. The IED was later on detonated safely by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS). Read less...

On May 24, posters printed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with the pictures of two Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres identified as Nirmala Biswas aka Nirmala Devi aka Seema Biswas aka Nimu aka Swapna aka Tina and Amiruddin Ahmed aka Amir Uddin Naskar aka Sunil aka Rana Chowdhury aka Surya, were found in the Kalipur area of Chakdaha municipality under Kalyani subdivision in Nadia District of West Bengal, reports thewall.in. The posters claimed that if the two Maoists (Nirmala and Amiruddin) are found, the person sharing information will be rewarded with INR 500,000 reward. Read less...

To scale up anti-Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) operations, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently opened two new Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Elmagunda and Potakpalli areas in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh, reports The Print on May 25. These new FOBs will help the CRPF to penetrate deeper into the forested areas affected by the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) to improve road connectivity and facilitate other Central schemes. Read less...

An ‘Action Committee’ member of the Communist Party of India -Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Vijay Yadav aka Sandeep Yadav of Baburamdih village under Lutua Police Station limits in Gaya District, died in dense forest of Bihar on May 25, reports UNI. As a member of ‘action committee’ (AC) of CPI-Maoist, Vijay, carrying a reward of INR 8.4 million, was active in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and around 88 number of cases has been lodged against him at various Police Stations in Aurangabad and its adjoining Districts. It is suspected that he died due to illness, said the Aurangabad, Superintendent of Police (SP), K. K. Mishra. Read less...

The inviolate core zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) situated in Madhya Pradesh has come under the control of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, reports Hindustan Times on May 26. The presence and regular movements of armed Maoists in four of the six zones of the KTR have been confirmed, said S.K. Singh, the Reserve’s Field Director. Two tiger reserves, Indravati in Chhattisgarh and Palamu in Jharkhand, are already under Maoist control. To spread their influence to Amarkantak in Anuppur District of Madhya Pradesh through KTR is the plan of CPI-Maoist cadres. Three Police outposts and four battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been planned to deploy in the KTR, said Balaghat, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sameer Saurabh. Read less...

Two ‘area committee members (ACM)’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Ramsingh alias Sitaram Bakka Atram (63) and Madhuri Bhuri alias Suman Raju Mattami (34), carrying a total reward of INR 1.2 million on their head, surrendered before the Police in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra on May 25, reports The Free Press Journal. Both Ramsingh and Madhuri were working as ‘ACM’ of Bhamragad Area Technical Dalam and Permili Local Operating Squad (LOS) respectively, Superintendent of Police (SP), Ankit Goyal, said. Read less...

A joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Giridih District Police recovered and defused a 10 kilograms Improvised Explosive Device (IED) allegedly planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) under a culvert between Kulhi and Borwapani under Nimiyaghat Police Station limits in Giridih District of Jharkhand on May 26, reports The Telegraph. Maoists had planted an IED under the culvert aimed at blowing it up when the Security Forces (SFs) moved through the road towards polling centers to conduct the Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) polls on May 27, said Giridih, Superintendent of Police (SP), Amit Renu. Read less...

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started investigations into money laundering by eight ‘couriers’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) arrested last year by National Intelligence Agencies (NIA) and local Police from Kiranpur Tehsil (revenue unit) in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh, reports The Time of India on May 27. ED’s letter to Balaghat Police has sought information about the First Information Report (FIR) and other documents related to the arrested Maoists identified as Sanjay Naji Bhai Chitrajhoda and Rohit Shiva Bhai Butani of Mumbai, Ghanshyam Shivlal and Vijay Jeevan Koreti of Anchle in Gondia, Maharashtra, Shakil Khan and Wajid Tethri of Kota, Rajasthan, and Tausif and Jitendra Kumar Agarwal of Jhalawar of Rajasthan. Police had recovered Pistols, Magazines, One magazine for an AK47, 8 Gelatin sticks, detonating cords, mobile phones and two Sports Utility Vehicle (SUVs). The arrested Maoists have admitted that they were paid INR 2.5 million for the supply of night vision devices, binoculars, high-range torches and tactical boots, said Police official. Read less...

A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre carrying a reward of INR 100,000 on his head was arrested from the forests of Palodi village under Kistaram Police Station limits in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on May 27, reports The Pioneer. Maoist militia ‘commander’ Sodi Deva alias Prakash was arrested from the forests of Palodi village during a search operation on May 27, Sukma, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sunil Sharma said. Deva was involved in the 2013 Maoist-Police encounter in which two Security Force (SF) personnel were killed, besides the abduction of an employee of a construction firm and firing on a Police party in the district in 2017, SP, Sharma said. Read less...

Cadres of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), thrashed a businessman identified as Ayodhya Prasad in a residential area under Garu Police Station limits in Latehar District of Jharkhand on May 27, reports prabhatkhabar.com. It is being told that the Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] have assaulted the businessman for the demand of ‘levy’ (extortion money), which he did not give. Read less...

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, at a press conference in Jagdalpur in Bastar District on May 27, said that the efforts of his government to provide work to people in Bastar were delivering positive results and helping to combat Naxalism [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] in the region, reports The Pioneer. The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) menace could be solved by winning the trust of local tribals, he said, adding that the Chhattisgarh government was increasing the job options for youths and arranging them livelihood. This is the only way to end Naxalism, he said. The income of villagers here has increased. That is why the Naxalites have failed to get new recruitment, the Chief Minister said, adding, “Bastar is moving towards a big change and people are now demanding colleges, Atmanand English Schools and hostels." Read less...

Three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, identified as Madvi Masa, Madvi Mada and Gonche Deva, surrendered to Police under the ‘Poona Narkom’ (Nai Dawn) campaign, in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on May 27, reports Dainik Bhaskar. Masa, carrying a cash reward of INR 2.5 million, was the gunman of Ganesh Uikey, member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), while Mada and Gonche were the members of the CPI-Maoist ‘Jan Militia’ (people’s army of the Maoists), said Sukma Police. Read less...

A joint patrolling team of the 165th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the 8th and 19th Battalions of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), District Reserve Guard (DRG) and local Police arrested four Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) ‘militia’ (people’s army of the Maoists) members near the forests of Belnar village in Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh on May 28, reports The Pioneer. The arrested Maoists were identified as Lalu Ram Modiyam, Nehru Kunjam, Lalsai Kunjam and Jayman Veko. Three tiffin bombs, electric wire and batteries were recovered from them, said Bijapur, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Pankaj Shukla. Read less...

Special Task Force (STF) Naxal [Left Wing extremism, LWE] Cell and Munger Police conducted search operation against cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the Amjhar forested hilly areas of Rishikund in Munger District of Bihar on May 28, reports jagran.com. During the search operation, the Police recovered detonators, 10 walkie-talkies, power cords, Naxalite uniforms from the hideout of the Maoists in the Amjhar forested hilly areas of Rishikund. Read less...

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel of the 127 Battalion recovered a five kilograms tiffin bomb, planted by the cadres of the Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) near Lankagarh Sahali area in Gahalai village under Belghar Police Stations limits in Kandhamal District of Odisha on May 28, reports Orissa Post. Later on, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) defused the bomb safely. Read less...

A cadre of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Guddu alias Guddu Mishra alias Arvind Kumar Mishra was arrested by the Latehar Police during a raid operation, from Tarasi Police Station limits in Palamu District of Jharkhand on May 29, reports Dainik Bhaskar. Arvind is a resident of Manika block in Latehar District of Jharkhand, and a case was registered against him under Section 341/323/504/506/324/34/17 CLF Act of Latehar Police Station case number 92/2019. Arvind was on the run since the case was registered, said Amit Kumar Gupta, Police Inspector. Read less...

District Police arrested Dilbar alias Chaukoy Sundi alias Jiten Sundi (20), an active member of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) from Jhumpura market under Sonuwa Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on May 30, reports lagatar.in. Dilbar is a resident of Kedabeer Village in School Tola area under Sonuwa Police Station limits in West Singhbhum District and many cases are registered against him in different Police Stations, said Senior Police officials. Read less...

A special team of Investigation Bureau (IB) from Telangana with the help of Bankey Bazar Police arrested Nazim Ullah Ansari, a ‘commander’ of the Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist), from the Mahuraon forest under Bankey Bazar Police Station limits in Gaya District of Bihar on May 30, reports livehindustan.com. Nazim is a resident of Bigha village under Madanpur Police Station limits in Aurangabad District of Bihar and was active in CPI-Maoist for more than 25 years. More than 100 cases are registered on Nazim in different Police Stations of Bihar-Jharkhand, said Bankey Bazar Police.   Read less...

Communist Party of India – Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed Madkam Sanna, the husband of Madkam Nande, Sarpanch (head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution) of Surpanguda Gram Panchayat, by holding a ‘Jan Adalat’ (People's/ Kangaroo Court organized by the Maoists) in the Chitra Bodekol forests under Chintalnar Police Station limits in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on June 3, reports livehindustan.com. Madkam was abducted by Maoists on May 31 from his home and killed by accusing him as a ‘Police informer’, said Superintendent of Police (SP), Sunil Sharma. Read less...

Communist Party of India–Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed Aslam Ansari alias Guddu (30), a former deputy Sarpanch (head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution) of Teliya Bahiyar Panchayat under Dumri Police Station limits in Giridih District of Jharkhand on May 31, reports livehindustan.com. Four Maoists killed Aslam accusing him as a Police informer. Four shells including live cartridges of Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) assault rifle and AK-47 rifle were recovered from the spot, said, Pirtand, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Manoj Kumar. Read less...