Maoists

Be tough with Maoists, but also look at needs of locals: HM Shah to CRPF

Originally a training centre of the CPI (Maoists) deep inside a jungle in Bijapur district, Gundam has turned into a formidable camp of the CRPF, serving as a nerve centre of anti-Naxal operations. A CRPF camp was set up in February in the hamlet after Naxals were driven out from this old den of theirs after months of struggle. While visiting the camp, Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacted with the security personnel, had lunch with them. He also told them that they would have to be tough with the Maoists, but must consider the needs of the local population. "If you face Naxals, confront them with toughest action but make sure that your action does not lead to any civilian getting annoyed," he said. Shah said that any local who comes to any camp must be offered help like medical care, or free food, or education for their children. "You have to make a friendship with the locals, win the trust and heart," he told the jawans. Security forces have opened 289 new camps in the ...

Jharkhand Maoist 'commander' with Rs 15 lakh bounty killed in internal feud

A CPI(Maoist) 'commander', who had a Rs 15 lakh bounty on his head, was killed in an internal feud of the proscribed organisation in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said on Wednesday. Chotu Kherwar, the 'zonal commander' of Palamu division, was allegedly killed by other Maoists in Bhimpal forest in Chipadohar police station area on Tuesday night, they said. DIG (Palamu Range) YS Ramesh said that after receiving news about the incident, police personnel were sent to the remote location to retrieve the body. Kherwar was wanted in multiple criminal cases, police said. An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the death, they said.

G N Saibaba had enormous love for country, should be seen as hero: Mander

G N Saibaba, who died due to post-operative complications last week, seven months after he was acquitted in a case alleging his Maoist links, was a person with enormous love for his country and should be seen as a hero, activist Harsh Mander said on Monday. At a memorial service held for the former Delhi University (DU) professor by the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), Mander and other activists also alleged that Saibaba's death was an "institutional murder" and that his health had deteriorated due to poor conditions in jail. Mander, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, described Saibaba as a professor who was loved by his students and a person concerned about injustice and inhumanity. "This became a reason for the establishment to accuse him of being a Maoist," he said. "There was no evidence of him having participated in any kind of violent activity," he added. Mander said Saibaba spent 10 years in jail, including the entire COVID-19 pand

Group of suspected Maoists in Wayanad call for boycott of LS polls

A four-member group of suspected armed Maoists reached an area under Thalappuzha police station in this hill district on Wednesday morning, urging the people there to boycott the April 26 Lok Sabha polls. A police officer said a group of police personnel has gone to Kambamala after learning about the Maoist presence in the area. However, he did not elaborate. Meanwhile, locals said the Maoists reached the area around 6.15 am and raised slogans. The ultras also urged the people to boycott voting, they said. The Maoists were in their uniforms and were carrying guns. They spent around 20 minutes in the area, the locals added. A purported video of the Maoists interacting with the locals surfaced later. It also showed that there were people, mainly workers, at the junction at the time of their arrival.

Maoist links case: HC acquits former DU professor G N Saibaba, 5 others

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday acquitted former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in an alleged Maoist links case and set aise the life imprisonment imposed on him. A division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki SA Menezes also acquitted five others accused in the case. The bench said it was acquitting all the accused as the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt against them. It also held as "null and void" the sanction procured by the prosecution to charge the accused under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). While the prosecution did not seek the HC to stay its order, it said it was likely to file an appeal in the Supreme Court immediately. On October 14, 2022, another bench of the HC acquitted Saibaba, noting the trial proceedings were "null and void" in the absence of a valid sanction under the UAPA. The Maharashtra government had on the same day approached the Supreme Court challengi

397 Maoists arrested, 9 killed, 26 surrendered in J'khand this year: Police

Jharkhand police on Friday said 397 Maoists were arrested, nine killed, and 26 surrendered before security forces across the state this year. A special area committee member, a regional committee member, five zonal commanders, and 11 sub-zonal commanders were among those arrested. These individuals had a combined bounty of Rs 1.01 crore on their heads, a statement said. Police also seized 152 arms, including 27 police weapons, 10,350 ammunition, and 244 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) over the past 12 months. The state police headquarters released the data on the occasion of the Hemant Soren government's four-year anniversary. Police said over the past four years, 1,617 Naxals have been arrested, including members from banned outfits such as CPI (Maoist), People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), and Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP). Since January 1, 2020, a total of 74 Maoists surrendered before the security forces, and 792 arms

Maoists blow up portion of railway tracks in Jharkhand, 13 trains cancelled

Members of the banned CPI (Maoist) blew up a portion of railway tracks in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, disrupting train services on the Howrah-Mumbai route for several hours, police said on Friday. At least 13 trains were cancelled and one has been diverted due to the incident, a railway official said. The incident occurred late Thursday night in the Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway between Mahadevsal and Posoita stations, around 150 km from the state capital Ranchi, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Sekhar said. "Security has been tightened in the locality. The repair work on the railway tracks has been started from early morning," he said, adding that Maoists also put up banners and posters in the area. Chakradharpur Division Assistant Commercial Manager Vinit Kumar told PTI that train operations in the division have been restored around 9 am on Friday. Around 10:08 pm on Thursday, an explosion occurred between Mahadevsal and Posoita station

Chhattisgarh Assembly polls: Women commandos to guard 35 booths in Bastar

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is set to deploy women commandos of Bastar Fighters in 35 polling stations in Maoist-hit Bastar division on November 7

4 vehicles torched, pvt firm's employees assaulted by Maoists in J'khand

At least four vehicles were torched and employees of a private firm assaulted at a railway construction site by members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said. The incident occurred near Chatti river bridge in Chandwa on Monday evening, they added. The police said a group of Maoists set three heavy vehicles and a car on fire and assaulted the employees of the firm. A team of police personnel reached the spot and started an investigation. The incident occurred exactly a month after six vehicles were torched and two employees of a private road construction company were assaulted by members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Palamu district.

J'khand: 6 vehicles torched, pvt firm's employees assaulted by Maoists

At least six vehicles were set on fire and two employees of a private road construction company were assaulted by members of banned CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand's Palamu district, a senior police officer said on Thursday. The incident happened in the Haldiya Ghati area under the Chhatarpur Police Station limits, around 220 km from the state capital Ranchi, on Wednesday evening, he said. Around 15 Maoists reached at the road construction site and beat up two clerks of the company, Chhatarpur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ajay Kumar told PTI. "Maoists also torched six vehicles, including trucks, engaged in the road construction," he said, adding that it was suspected that Maoists conducted the attack on the site for levy. "We are investigating the case and an operation has been initiated to nab the Maoists involved in the crime," he said.

NIA arrests fourth accused in CPI (Maoist) revival case in Bihar's Magadh

The NIA has arrested one person in the CPI (Maoist) terror funding case in connection with efforts being made to revive the banned outfit in the Magadh zone of Bihar, an agency official said on Monday. The arrested accused, Anandi Paswan (46), has more than five criminal cases registered against him at various police stations of Bihar, a spokesperson for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. The NIA said raids conducted on the premises of Paswan, a resident of Nirakhpur village in the Kinjar area of Arwal district, led to the seizure of illegal arms and ammunition on February 12 last year. Paswan is the fourth person to be arrested in the case, registered in 2021, related to the terror financing network being jointly operated by CPI (Maoist) cadres and overground workers (OGWs) in the Magadh region. The NIA had earlier nabbed Tarun Kumar, Pradyuman Sharma and Abhinav alias Gaurav. The agency chargesheeted two accused in the case on January 20. "NIA investigations so far ha

Three Maoists arrested in Chhattisgarh's Kanker; IED recovered, says police

Security forces have arrested three Maoists and recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by them on a road in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said on Sunday. Two of them were carrying rewards of Rs 8 lakh each on their heads, they said. A joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the Central Reserve Police Force's 30th battalion launched a search/area domination operation from the CRPF's Chilparas camp in the district on Friday. "During the operation, the security forces spotted three persons in a forested patch under Koilibead police station limits. They were arrested while they were trying to run away after seeing the police," Superintendent of Police Shalabh Kumar Sinha said. A walkie-talkie set, a torch and Rs 6,000 cash were recovered from their possession, he said. Based on information given by them, an IED which they had planted on Chilparas Dudta road was found with a wire attached, the official said. The three accused have been identified as Peelu

Explosives dumped by Maoists along Odisha-Andhra border seized: Police

A large amount of explosives suspected to have been dumped by the Maoists along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha has been seized, police said. Acting on a tip-off, police seized 50 kg of explosive codex wire, 100 detonators and 15 radio sets in Lamataput area in Koraput district, Superintendent of Police Avinav Sonkar said. He said the explosives are suspected to have been dumped by the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit for future use against security forces.

Game of thrones in Nepal: The great game in the Himalayas

Nepal has become a playground for international geopolitics, and its politics of musical chairs has become murkier

Maoists issue public threats to kill NCP MLA; Maha govt assures security

Maoists allegedly issued a press statement threatening to kill the lawmaker following mining disputes

Security forces detect 120 IEDs planted by Maoists in Jharkhand's Latehar

Security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operation detected 120 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by Maoists in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said. The security forces detected the IEDs planted by the Maoists to target them in Budapahad area of Latehar district, which was earlier a den of the Maoists, on Friday, the police said. The IEDs have been defused, they said. The Budapahad area was earlier a stronghold of the Maoists but now the security forces have established a camp in the area. The security forces on Thursday also detected and seized a 15 kg cooker bomb, a claymore mine, three detonators, one Motorola wireless set, two ammunition pouches, and naxal literature in Latehar and Garhwa districts, a police statement said. Security forces have also launched an operation in Kolhan area of West Singhbhum district to apprehend top Maoist leader Misir Besra alias Sagar, carrying a reward of Rs one crore on his head. In course of the operation in Kolhan, security for

650 Maoist supporters surrender in Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border: Official

As many as 650 active Maoist supporters -- residents of villages along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border -- surrendered before the police, a senior officer here said. Most of them are members of local village committees or Chetana Natya Mandali a cultural outfit linked to CPI(Maoist) in Swabhiman Anchal of Malkangiri district, once a Red corridor that lay cut-off from mainland Odisha, the police officer said. "The surrendered Maoist supporters hail from remote villages of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The supporters used to assist the cadres of the banned outfit in carrying out attacks on security forces and civilians, besides other violent activities," said Rajesh Pandit, DIG (south-western range). Raising slogans such as "Maobadi Murdabad, Ama Sarkar Jindabad", the sympathisers burnt Maoist literature, effigies, and uniforms worn by cadres of the banned outfit before surrendering on Saturday. The Swabhiman Anchal, comprising 182 villages, is experiencing a "quick turnaround", with

Centre curtails Chhattisgarh govt's fund to fight Maoists: Minister

The scheme also takes care of compensation to surrendered Maoists, community policing and security-related infrastructure for village defence committees

Bombay HC bench acquits ex-DU professor G N Saibaba in Maoist links case

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday acquitted former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in an alleged Maoist links case, and ordered his immediate release from jail. A division bench of Justice Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare allowed the appeal filed by Saibaba challenging a 2017 order of the trial court convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment. Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound due to a physical disability, is currently lodged at the Nagpur central prison. The bench also allowed the appeal of five other convicts in the case and acquitted them. One of the five died pending hearing of the appeal. The bench directed for the convicts to be released forthwith from jail unless they are accused in any other case. In March 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district had convicted Saibaba and others, including a journalist and a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student for alleged Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging

NIA arrests 1 from Bengal for involvement in Assam's Cachar Maoist case

The National Investigation Agency arrested a Maoist identified as Samrat Chakraborty alias Amit from West Bengal's Mahispata for his involvement in the CPI (Maoist) case of Cachar District of Assam