Maoist Insurgency: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2002

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG), blew up the telephone exchange building at Mallamaplli village, Mulug police station limits, on January 1. According to police sources, the entire building came down under its impact and all the equipment in the exchange was totally damaged. The loss of property is estimated at Rs. 50 lakh. Read less...

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the Peoples' War Group (PWG), set off an explosion inside a telephone exchange building at Mallampalli village, Warangal district, on January 1 night, police said.A group of 10 Naxals belonging to the Pandava Dalam (squad) were allegedly involved in the act. The equipment as well as the building suffered a heavy damage. Read less...

According to official sources, a left-wing extremist, Naxalite of the People’s War Group (PWG) was arrested during a joint operation by the Orissa police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Chintrakonda, Malkangiri district on January 2 night. Police sources said that the Naxalite was wanted by the Andhra Pradesh police and carried a cash award of Rs 40,000 on his head. Read less...

In another incident, PWG Naxalites sent back officials who had come to start the 16th phase of Janmabhoomi programme in villges of Mahamuttaram on January 2. According to media reports, the Naxalites warned the government officials against conducting the programme in these villages. Later, the leader of the local guerrilla squad, Latchanna, addressed a public gathering and condemned the government saying that it was wasting public money in the name of such programmes. He said the public should not participate in such programmes for their own good, as these programmes were merely eyewash. Read less...

PWG Naxalites sent back officials who had come to start the 16th phase of Janmabhoomi programme in villges of Mahamuttaram on January 2. According to media reports, the Naxalites warned the government officials against conducting the programme in these villages. Later, the leader of the local guerrilla squad, Latchanna, addressed a public gathering and condemned the government saying that it was wasting public money in the name of such programmes. He said the public should not participate in such programmes for their own good, as these programmes were merely eyewash. Read less...

The PWG Naxals triggered a blast inside a building, which had till recently housed a police station, in Epur village, Guntur district, on January 2 night. There were no casualties in the incident. Read less...

In a separate incident, the police claimed they had foiled a major strike planned by the PWG targeting a prominent political leader on the hitlist with the arrest of a PWG Naxalite from the Eturunagaram area, Warangal district. Police sources said that the PWG deputed the Naxalite for collecting information on the movement of the political leader in the area. Read less...

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) has reportedly said that it committed a ‘mistake’ by killing the Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) D Raghya Naik and apologised to his family. Naik, who represented Devarakonda constituency in Nalgonda district, was killed by the PWG near Maddimadugula village, Mahboobnagar district on December 29, 2001. Read less...

The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has taken exception to the apology saying that a mere apology after killing an elected representative was not enough. He said if the Naxalites were concerned about the welfare of the people, they should confront elected representatives instead of killing them. Participating in a Janmabhoomi programme in Jainur in Adilabad district on January 3, he said people were fed up with the excesses of Naxals and were turning against them. Read less...

A news report on January 5 said that the State government proposes to purchase four landmine-resistant vehicles (LRVs) from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by April 2002. The price of each such vehicle is about Rs 5.5 million. The LRVs will be used in the areas in which left wing extremists, Naxalites are active. A Naxalite outfit, the People’s War Group (PWG), has used landmines several times in the past to kill police personnel. Read less...

A police personnel was killed when left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) ambushed a police party conducting combing operations in the Addagutta forests of Warangal district on January 4. The Naxalites escaped after the ambush without suffering any casualties. Read less...

According to media reports, the forcible recruitment of young girls into the People's Guerilla Army (PGA) by left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People's War Group (PWG) has led to panic among parents of girls in the 14-20 age group who have sent them out of their native villages to their relatives outside the ‘recruitment zone’ bordering Maharashtra. Official sources said all the families in and around the Tanda and Bagh rivers bordering Gondhia and Balaghat, have been forced to send their young girls away from the villages as the PWG was forcing them to send at least one girl from each family for recruitment in its sister outfit, PGA. The process started in December 2001 and is still continuing, sources say. Read less...

According to media reports, the Bihar government has proposed to purchase four landmine-resistant vehicles (LRVs) from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by the end of the current financial year. The price of each such vehicle is around Rs 55 lakh. The LRVs will be used in the Naxalite-affected districts of the State. Read less...

Bihar Inspector General of Police (Operation) Neelmani, while speaking to the media in Patna, on January 6, said the forces had launched a special drive in the districts of Palamu, Rohatas, Garwah, Lohardaga and Kaimur of Bihar and Jharkhand and Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonebhadra of Uttar Pradesh. He said the force, which received special training at Hyderabad to deal with the Naxalites, achieved its first success in Rohatas district on January 4 when it destroyed a bunker and a training camp of the Naxalites and killed two of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Police also recovered some arms, ammunition and several incriminating documents. Neelmani said a special drive had also been launched to bring the Naxalites to the mainstream. Those who would surrender would be provided with Rs 10,000 immediately, besides a house and Rs two lakh assistance for rehabilitation. Read less...

Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh police have launched a combined offensive against left-wing extremists, Naxalites, operating in their border districts. Read less...

In another incident, on January 6, MCC Naxalites raided the Adi Shakarya math (shrine) at Khajwati in Bihar’s Gaya district, and blew up a portion of the math. According to media reports, the Naxalites, numbering several dozens, used dynamite sticks to blow up the building. The attack caused extensive damage to the math property. Read less...

Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary, Home Affairs, Naresh Dayal, while addressing the media in Lucknow, on January 7, said, seven left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), were killed in different encounters in Rohtas district in Bihar on January 6 and 7. He said the Uttar Pradesh police had tip-off their counterparts in Bihar and added that Bihar police had recovered some arms from the possession of the MCC cadres, which were stolen from various police stations of the State. Read less...

According to media reports, left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG), have reportedly intensified a drive for collecting funds to acquire modern weapons. According to the district police chief of Jagdalpur, the Naxalites are collecting money from villagers. They are planning to purchase modern weapons and arms, he added. He said that a 5000sq. k.m. area, including the reserved forest in Bastar district, is Naxalite-infested. Read less...

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a package of Rs 40 crore for the development of left-wing extremist, Naxalite, affected Malkangiri district. Announcing this at a public meeting in Malkangiri, on January 7, Patnaik said the package included a high-level bridge over river Gurupriya in Janbai area, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore. Improvement of roads and culverts from Govindpalli to Balimela, Balimela to Chitrakonda, Kalimela to Podia, Govindpalli-Balimela-Sileru road will also be taken up as part of the package, he added. Read less...

A joint-team of Bihar police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) killed five left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) in an encounter in Kojiam Bara village, Jehanabad district, on January 8 night, reports said. Some arms and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain Naxals. Read less...

Police, on January 8, arrested three left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in Ballia district and seized 73 detonators carrying impressions of a government ordinance factory in Haryana. The security agencies were now tracing the security lapse at the ordinance factory which could have led to detonators' smuggling. Read less...

The Nizamabad ‘district commander’ of the People’s War Group (PWG), the left-wing extremist, Naxalite organisation, Ilanna, was killed in an encounter in the forest adjoining Basheerabad village, under the Kammarpalli police station limits, late in the night on January 8, media reports said. The slain Naxal and his colleague, who had escaped from the scene, were moving on a bicycle, when the police spotted them, reports claimed and added that the Naxal leader was carrying a reward of Rs. 3 lakhs on his head. Some communication equipment, a grenade and a revolver were recovered from the scene of the encounter, district police chief Dr. Ravi Shankar Ayyanar told the media, on January 9. Read less...

The Nizamabad ‘district commander’ of the People’s War Group (PWG), the left-wing extremist, Naxalite organisation, Ilanna, was killed in an encounter in the forest adjoining Basheerabad village, under the Kammarpalli police station limits, late in the night on January 8, media reports said. The slain Naxal and his colleague, who had escaped from the scene, were moving on a bicycle, when the police spotted them, reports claimed and added that the Naxal leader was carrying a reward of Rs. 3 lakhs on his head. Some communication equipment, a grenade and a revolver were recovered from the scene of the encounter, district police chief Dr. Ravi Shankar Ayyanar told the media, on January 9. The slain district commander was also a member of the sub-committee on military affairs (SCOMA) of the North Telangana Special Zone Committee (NTSZC) and Squad Area Secretary of the People's Guerrilla Army (PGA), Nizamabad and Karimnagar west division, reports added. Read less...

Girijan (Tribal) leaders in Andhra Pradesh, on January 10, have declared the Naxalites guilty of killing 194 tribals and their leaders branding them police informers. They have also demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court into these killings and 80 other deaths caused by police. Consequent to a recent conclave, Girijan leaders belonging to different political parties, NGOs and other organisations, formed a State-level forum called "Rashtra Adivasi Girijan Aikhya Vedika" (RAGAV) to represent the 60 lakh Girijans in the State belonging to 33 different sects which reportedly became active after the killing of Ragya Naik, a Member of the State Legislative Assembly. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on January 10, Chanda Lingaiah, RAGAV convener said that "Naxalism in the State was born in the forests of Srikakulam district where tribals lived, on the pretext of saving tribals from exploitation and atrocities but Naxalites today were annihilating the very Girijans." Read less...

On the night of January 10, armed Janasakthi Naxalites raided three villages in Warangal district and severely assaulted 10 villagers. Read less...

Six activists of the proscribed left extremist, Naxalite outfit, People's War Group (PWG) have been arrested in combing operations in Midnapore West district in West Bengal on January 10. According to police sources, the six PWG activists were arrested in a joint combing operation by the State police and Eastern Frontier Rifles in Goaltore, Salbani, Gopiballavpur and Midnapore- Bankura forest areas. With the arrest of these six activists, the total number of activists of the PWG and another proscribed Naxalite outfit, Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) arrested in the district has risen to 56 in the last seven days, sources added. Read less...

Two left wing extremists, Naxalites, were arrested in Bangalore on January 10 for involvement in several cases of murder, bomb explosions and attempt to murder. The two are members of a splinter group of the People’s War Group (PWG). Police sources said that the two were involved in five murders, nine bomb blast cases and an attempt to murder case. Read less...

Eight left wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG), surrendered before police officials in Karminagar, on January 11. Among those who surrendered were two women and two ‘deputy commanders’ of the outfit. Meanwhile, in a separate development, cases have been registered on January 11 against three Congress (I) local leaders for helping PWG Naxalites who conspired to blast the model police station at Kararam, Karimnagar. Speaking to the media, an unnamed police official said one of the three had supplied maps and other details of the police station to the PWG Naxalites. No details were provided on the nature of assistance provided by the other two politicians. Read less...

In another incident, police raided a huge arms dump and arrested four people, including two Congress (I) activists, at Ibrahimpet. 1995 weapons, 20 claymore mines and other materials were seized during the raid. Read less...

Media reports on January 14 from Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, said the left-wing extremist group, People’s War Group (PWG) of Naxalites, has revived the Singareni Karmika Samakhya (Sikasa), a front organisation that works among coal miners, in the district. Owing to intense police pressure and dwindling numbers of activists the Sikasa was wound up in the district two years ago, and the remaining activists were asked to join the armed movement in the forests. The Jaipur Local Guerrilla Squad has reportedly asked to revive the activities of the Sikasa in the district. Read less...

Residents of Vanjarapalli village, Warangal district, on January 13, chased a group of three extortionists, who posed as Naxalites, left-wing extremists, and killed one of them. The three, identified as members of Praja Rakshana Samithi, a group involved in extortion and other offences, were attempting to gain possession of the government-sanctioned weapon of a local-leader, who they were holding captive but had given them the slip. Subsequently village residents chased the extortionists. Among the criminals, one was a surrendered Naxalite, reports said. Read less...

According to delayed media reports, the father and younger brother of a former left wing extremist, Naxalite of the People’s War Group (PWG) leader were waylaid and lynched by a group of unidentified persons in the Vellutlapet village, Nizamabad, on January 14. Eyewitnesses have reportedly indicated that the killing may be related to certain old enmity. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the killing. Read less...

A news report citing a senior leader of the left wing extremist, Naxalite outfit, People’s War Group (PWG), said on January 16 that the outfit would oppose the construction of the multi-purpose hydro project planned at Devadula near Warrangal. The PWG leader said that the outfit would oppose the project’s construction since, he alleged, the State government was not concentrating on constructing small irrigation projects and was also not adequate measures in providing alternative employment to the tribals displaced by big projects. Read less...

According to media reports, 28 sympathisers of left wing extremists, Naxalites, including an active cadre of the proscribed People's War Group (PWG), surrendered before police at Nizamabad, about 200 km from Hyderabad, said on January 17. The PWG sympathisers, who provided food, shelter, vehicles and information regarding the movements of police to the extremists, surrendered before the Dharpally police. Read less...

According to media reports, villagers of the left extremist, Naxalite-affected Naguram village in Karimnagar district, have taken an oath in a temple that they would not allow Naxalites into their village who were obstructing developmental activities and also ensure the surrender of underground Naxalites of the village. Read less...

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Goutham Sawang has said that the people alone should pressurise left wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) to the negotiating table to hold talks with the government. He was commenting in the context of statements issued by PWG North Telangana Special Zone committee secretary Jampanna and Warangal district PWG secretary Rama Krishna saying that the PWG was ready to hold talks with the government if police stopped encounters. The DIG added that except for issuing statements in November 2001, the PWG leadership has failed to disclose terms for a dialogue with the government. While indicating that dialogue between the two parties is part of a democratic process, he added that the government "welcomed the change of heart of the Naxalites." He also said that the government was unable to proceed, as the PWG leadership was demanding cessation of firing by the police alone without declaring that they would also lay down arms. Read less...

Media reports have indicated that the left extremist, Naxalite outfit, People's War Group (PWG), has made an unconditional offer of talks with the government but sought a conducive atmosphere for dialogue by stopping "police encounters and raids at least for a couple of months." "We are not setting any pre-condition for talks. We only request the Government to stop encounters, arrests, raids and combing operations at least for two to three months,'' the outfit said in an undated letter to the Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), a copy of which was released to the press on January 19. Read less...

A printing press owner was arrested and printing machines and materials used for printing handbills, wall posters and literature for the proscribed People’s War Group (PWG) were seized by police in Nizamabad on January 21. Police sources indicated that the arrested person had joined a printing press in 1984 and came into contact with the PWG North Telangana ‘special zone committee’ member Azad in 1997. He claimed that Azad gave him Rs 7 lakh in May 2001 for the purpose of printing handbills, wall posters and literature for the PWG. Read less...

Kaloji Narayana Rao, a famous poet of the State announced on January 21 in Warangal that he was willing to mediate between the government and the PWG if both the parties sought his services for a fruitful dialogue. News reports have pointed out that Kaloji has mediated between the two parties on earlier occasions also. He also said that the State government should immediately respond favourably for the talks with the PWG. Read less...

the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said in Hyderabad on the same day that the government would respond to the PWG offer of talks after examining it in depth, formulating its approach and taking other political parties into confidence. He added that he had read about the PWG offer in the press only and had not studied the offer in detail. The government, he pointed out, would analyse the PWG proposals, prepare a basic framework for the proposed talks and decide its strategy and approach without prejudice to effective maintenance of law and order. Read less...

A reporter of a vernacular daily was arrested for aiding Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG), according to Nizamabad police sources on January 24. The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Nizamabad said that Kola Baleshwer Rao of Medak district had been assisting the PWG for the last eight years. According to the OSD, the arrested journalist was also involved in printing literature and pamphlets of PWG at Gandhinagar in Hyderabad. As reported earlier, the printing press was raided and its owner arrested in Hyderabad recently. Read less...

According to media reports, two cadres of the proscribed Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) have been killed and 42 others have been arrested during the first phase of a drive against left-wing extremists in the Chatra, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Gumla, Ranchi, Lohardagga and Chaibasa districts of Jharkhand. Police sources indicated that in the next phase, the drive would be extended to other left-wing extremist-affected districts of the State. Read less...

Naxalites of the Pratighatna group at Royyur village, Warangal district, killed an ex-sarpanch (village headman) on January 24. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the killing. Read less...

The West Bengal police on January 26 arrested a leader of the left-wing extremist, Naxalite outfit the People’s War Group (PWG) in Belaidanga village under Salboni police station in the Purulia district. Some arms, ammunition and incriminating documents were also seized from his possession. Addressing a press conference in Midnapore on January 27, the district police chief said that literature seized from the PWG hideout indicated to their links with Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Maoist insurgents in Nepal. Read less...

According to media reports, the State government is likely to initiate a process of consulting different sections of the society on the issue of talks with left-wing extremist, Naxalite outfit, the People’s War Group (PWG) after the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s returns from abroad in the second week of February 2002. The issue was reportedly discussed at the politburo meeting of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Hyderabad on January 27. The politburo was said to have suggested that the Government should take a clear decision after consulting the concerned sections since a solution for the Naxal problem appeared possible after four decades. Read less...

Eleven persons, including nine Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) personnel, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by suspected left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) in the Chainpur police station limits in Gumla district on January 27 night. Read less...

Eleven persons, including nine Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) personnel, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by suspected left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) in the Chainpur police station limits in Gumla district on January 27 night. According to official sources, the incident took place when the police patrol party was returning to the Chainpur police station. Two villagers were also killed in the incident. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and a massive combing operation has been launched in the area to arrest the Naxalites. The district police chief said that Gumla’s borders had been sealed and police station in the area put on alert. This is the first such attack in Gumla district and the first major attack on the police after October 31, when 13 police personnel were killed in an attack on the police station in Topchanchi, Dhanbad district by the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Read less...

In another incident, on the same day, a MCC Naxalite was killed in an encounter in Ranchi. Read less...

In another incident, the police recovered an arms dump of the PWG at Somarampet village, Machareddy mandal on January 27. Explosives and materials used to manufacture explosives were found in the dump. Five persons have been arrested in this connection. Read less...

In yet another incident, on the same day, the police unearthed three landmines planted by PWG Naxalites in Chintapalli Agency area, Visakhapatnam district. According to official sources, the landmines were planted to target VIPs visiting mandals in the agency area during the Janmabhoomi programme. Read less...

The Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC) appealed to the State government to respond positively on the talks issue. It welcomed the decision of the PWG to observe a cease-fire from second week of February if the State Government came forward for talks. Read less...

Villagers of Errabelli, Karimnagar district vowed that they would not allow Naxalites to enter the village. Read less...

A left-wing extremist, Naxalite of the People’s War Group (PWG) was killed in an encounter near Guttikonda in the Peduguralla police station limits, Guntur district on January 28. Police sources said that four Naxalites opened fire on an eight-member police party searching for landmines in the area and in the ensuing encounter, a Naxalite was killed. The others managed to escape from the encounter site. The identity of the Naxalite was yet to be established. Read less...

In yet another incident, on January 28, the PWG Naxalites attacked a liquor shop in Muthukapalli in the Bantaram police station limits in Ranga Reddy district and also set ablaze three vehicles after locking up the owner of the shop and 15 others inside the shop. The Naxalites also reportedly left a pamphlet in which they demanded that all liquor shops in the State be shut down. The pamphlet also urged people to take action against those selling liquor. Read less...

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) attacked the Baloomath police station in Latehar district and exchanged fire with the security forces on January 28 night. Police sources said that an estimated 50 Naxalites armed with sophisticated weapons disconnected the telephone line of the police station and engaged the police personnel in an encounter for about half-an-hour. The Naxalites later managed to escape. However, no injury was reported. Read less...

The Bihar police have arrested 11 activists of the proscribed Ranvir Sena, a private army of landowners, in Central Bihar, and recovered a huge cache of firearms in raids in Amarpur village, Jehanabad district on January 28 night. Read less...

The State government on January 28 decided that the police would not resort to "unwanted and unnecessary action’’ against the left-wing extremist, Naxalite outfit, People’s War Group (PWG), reciprocating the undeclared gesture of the Naxalites. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting in Hyderabad. Official sources indicated that the government has also decided to hold an all-party meeting on February 12 to discuss PWG’s offer of talks. Read less...

In another incident, on January 29, the police reportedly foiled an attempt by the PWG Naxalites to blow up the railway track near Pondugula station on the Guntur-Nadikudi section. Police sources said that while a group of Naxalites was attempting to blow up the railway track, a special police party foiled the same. Five gelatine sticks, six detonators, several boxes of fuse wire and coils of electric wire were recovered from the incident site. Read less...

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG) killed two persons near Baskarcha village, Latehar district on January 29 night. Police sources said the victims had criminal antecedents. The Naxalites also left a handbill owning responsibility for the killing. Read less...

Media reports said that a document seized by the police during an encounter with the PWG in Nizamabad district has revealed that the Naxal outfit is not sincere over the proposed talks with the State government. The document reportedly reveals that the PWG mooted the talks with government with the intention to utilise the brief lull for regrouping and strengthening its cadre. According to the document, the PWG, instead of sorting out the issues at the talks was intending to use the talks as an alibi to expand its network. Read less...

The State Home Minister Devender Goud, while speaking in Hyderabad on January 29, said that the State government would not tolerate the PWG if it tried to take advantage of the government’s willingness to welcome any effort to establish and maintain peace in society. He said, "There is no need for prejudice or obstinacy on this issue. We want peace and whoever comes forward to help us would be welcomed. This will be our top priority". The Home Minister pointed out that there was an imperative to contain violence as it had already claimed hundreds of lives and also led to destruction of public property. Read less...

According to media reports, the State government is exploring various options regarding the proposed talks with left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People’s War Group (PWG), including utilising the services of a third party in the negotiations. The government is likely to go into the talks initially with a mediator and based on the outcome of these initial talks, the government will itself take part in the dialogue, said reports. The government has already set the process in motion by holding two rounds of ministerial-level meeting on the Naxalite’s offer of talks and a discussion in the Cabinet on January 28. The government has also consulted senior police officials with considerable experience in dealing with the Naxalite problem. Read less...

Director General of Police (DGP) AN Singh, addressing a two-day meeting of Inspector Generals (IGs) in Bhopal on January 30, directed Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) posted in the Special Armed Forces (SAF) to camp in the left-wing extremist, Naxalite- infested district of Balaghat, at least for one week every month. Singh said that police officers should regularly visit Naxal-infested areas and keep a strict vigil on the activities of the Naxal outfits. Read less...

In another incident, the police arrested three Naxalites of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) after an encounter in the Gumla-Sisai Bangarh hills, Gumla district on January 30. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition were also seized from their possession. They have been booked under the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO). Read less...

Two left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) were killed in an encounter in the forests near the Tiur-Mahkaur village of Nawada district on the night of January 30. Police also recovered two rifles the Naxalites had earlier snatched from police personnel in Bihar and Jharkhand. Three hand grenades and a huge quantity of ammunition were also seized from the encounter site. Read less...

A woman left-wing extremist, Naxalite of the Prathighanata faction was killed in an encounter in the Vadagudem forests of Warangal district on January 31. Police sources said the incident took place when the Naxals opened fire on a special police party on a combing operation in the area. The police also recovered some arms and ammunition from the encounter site. The identity of the Naxalite is yet to be established. Read less...

State police chief RR Prasad, while talking to the media in Patna on January 31, said that the police had stepped up the pressure on the Naxal outfits and private armies of landowners over the last few days in view of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s proposed visit to Patna on February 3. Read less...