Bihar: Jailbreak bid by naxalites foiled

Gaya (PTI): Seven naxalites, including a top commander accused in the Jehanabad jailbreak case, made an abortive bid to escape from the central jail here, but were caught in the act.

Kirani Yadav, a zonal commander of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), and six of his comrades, lodged in the high-security prison, opened the locks of their cell with the help of duplicate keys last night, Superintendent of Police Amit Jain told PTI.

As they were about to climb over the jail walls with ropes, a guard sighted them and raised an alarm, Jain added.

The seven pounced upon the guard and beat him up mercilessly, but soon the warders rushed to his help, overpowered all of them and forced them back into a cell.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, particularly to ascertain how the prisoners came to have duplicate keys and ropes to facilitate their escape.

Kirani Yadav is one of the main accused of the Jehanabad jailbreak case on November 13, 2005 in which hundreds of naxalites were freed during a raid by the Maoist guerrillas.

He is also an accused in the case of shooting down and burning four policemen at Paraia police station in 2003 and looting six rifles and several rounds of ammunition.

Sehwag had reprieves at 16 and 92 but it was a vintage stuff from the Delhi dasher who peppered the offside region with brutal strokes in a knock of 113 off just 78 deliveries with 18 fours and two sixes in it.

Sehwag chose to leave all niceties behind in the dressing room and came out with a brutalising intent. He began by smashing three fours off left-arm paceman Perera.

He was lucky on 16 when he was let off at square leg but thereafter proved a scourge to the home bowling.

Sehwag was particularly harsh on Perera whose line outside the off-stump was to the batsman's liking. He wasn't soft on right-hander's either, squeezing out 10 runs in Adam Ritchard's first over.

Leg-spinner Ryan Bulger wilted under the assault after he was hit for 10 runs in his first over.

Sehwag completed his half century from 38 balls, lofting Bulger for a six over extra cover but was lucky on 92 when a mid-on fielder let him off.

Sehwag's three-figure knock was finally raised when he flicked Ritchard for four, celebrating the moment with one through point and a massive six.

Kaarthick opened out after Sehwag had left the stage and in contrast to the latter, played several cultured stroke through the off-side. However, he was dismissed just three short of his century when tried to flick spinner Mark Higg on the onside and missed the line of the delivery.

Kaarthick batted for 197 minutes, faced 152 balls and hit 12 fours.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200801121342.htm

Bihar: Force doubles red border search

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Threat looms Patna, Dec. 20: Security forces have launched intensive search in three rebel-hit districts, on the Indo-Nepal border, following the death of three CRPF jawan in an encounter with Maoist guerrillas in Motihari last night. "Paramilitary forces are carrying out intensive combing operations in East Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Sheohar districts," said the inspector-general (operations) in Bihar, S.K. Bhardwaj. Talking to The Telegraph, he added: "The forces have not yet returned. So, we can not give you the exact figure of the number of arrests as of now." The CRPF team engaged in crossfire with the guerrillas at Kadma under Rajepur police station in East Champaran district. A team of 150 cadre was passing through Lakshminia villager in Sheohar in the wake of a police raid there, when the force found them. The Maoists who were heavily armed and far more in number in comparison to security forces, exchanged rounds of fire with the CRPF men killing the latter's deputy commandant, Vinay Kumar Kapil, and two other jawans. Last night there were reports of a Maoist being killed in the crossfire, but today the villagers identified the slain person to be a Kadma resident. Three other villagers, including a girl, were also injured in the crossfire. Maoists have been protesting the death of their comrade Nagina Majhi in Beur central jail here on Saturday night across the state, including the Bihar jails. Today, they gave a call for a 24-hour Bihar bandh. "No untoward incident has been reported so far from any part of the state," said a home department spokesperson. Reportedly, the 150-odd cadre divided themselves in three groups and launched a multi-pronged attack on the security forces. However, with more re-enforcement reaching in late last night, the security forces succeeded in breaking the groups. Sources in the BSF and the CRPF reveal that the Naxalites have added more fire power particularly in areas under Sitamarhi, Sheohar, East and West Champaran and Muzaffapur districts bordering Nepal because of a growing nexus with their Nepal counterparts.

23 policemen killed in encounter with Naxals in Bihar

PATNA: A total 23 policemen were killed in 2007 in encounters with naxals, who lost 12, official sources said on Thursday.

Eight policemen were killed in Rohtas district, which accounted for the maximum number, followed by four in Lakhisarai, three in East Champaran, two in Bhagalpur.

Gaya, Buxar, Jammui, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Saharsa districts reported killing of one police personnel each in encounters during the year, figures made available by the police heaquarters said.

The police in its turn killed seven naxals in Gaya, three in West Champaran and two in Rohtas district, the sources said.

The sources said in about 171 incidents of naxal-related violence in 29 out of 38 districts of the state during the year, 39 common men lost their lives. In Gaya district alone 12 innocent people were killed in such violence, followed by 6 in Munger, 5 in East Champaran, 4 in Rohtas, 3 each in Jammui and Saran, 2 in Arwal and 1 each in Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Aurangabad and Purnea.

The naxals killed three policemen including a deputy superintendent of police of CRPF, V K Kapil in an encounter which lasted for over several hours on the borders of Motihari and Sheohar districts adjacent to Indo-Nepal borders late Wednesday night.

The sources said the naxals also looted 37 weapons in their attacks on police stations and outposts during the year.

In counter action, police arrested 553 naxalites, including front ranking leaders Tusharkant Bhattacharya from Dujra locality of Patna, Ajay Kanu, Yogesh Yadav and Babulal Shahni.

The police also recovered 160 firearms from the possession of arrested naxals. The arms included self loading rifles and stenguns besides, 2916 detonators, 35 can bombs, 4800 live cartridges, 2476 kg of explosive materials during the year, the sources added.

CRPF DSP, Two Jawans Killed in Police-Naxal Encounter

Patna: Dec. 19, 2007

In a fierce encounter between the law-enforcement officials and heavily-armed Maoists in Kadma in Western Champaran district on Wednesday, CRPF 153 Battalion DSP V. K. Kapil and two jawans were gunned down while three ultras were also shot dead though the police could recover the body of only one down extremist.

Reports said more than 60 ultras arrived at Lakshminia village in Sheohar district and invaded the house of village chief Kapildeo Narayan Singh. Finding the mukhia not at house, the Naxals took away his 25-year old son with them.

Sensing the police closing in, the ultras fled towards West Champaran where they engaged in a violent battle with Central Reserve Protection Force jawans led by DSP Kapil.

Kapil fell to a bullet fired by the ultras just as two other jawans were hit and killed, reports said.

More than a dozen security officials and several ultras were also hurt in the incident, the police said.

Senior police officials including S. K. Bharadwaj, IG Operations, and the IG of Muzaffarpur have arrived in Kadma to monitor the situation as hundreds of Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) and CRPF jawans have been engaged in combing the area to apprehend the criminals.

300 inmates of Jehanabad jail on hunger strike

Patna, Dec 19 - After Maoists lodged in the Beur jail here, it is the turn of prisoners in the Jehanabad jail to raise a banner of revolt. Over 300 inmates, including 67 Maoists, went on a hunger strike Wednesday.

They are demanding action against jail officials responsible for last week's suicide by a Maoist inmate in Beur jail.Nagina Manjhi, 40, a member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), committed suicide Dec 14. He was found hanging from the iron gate of the jail infirmary where he was being treated for a minor ailment.The prisoners in Jehananbad, about 50 km from here, also protested the use of force by the police against agitating Maoist inmates in Beur Tuesday.Official sources said 67 of the 328 inmates on hunger strike are Maoists and 135 belong to the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML).The inmates have also demanded Rs.500,000 as compensation for Manjhi's kin.

All efforts by jail authorities to end the hunger strike have failed.'We have been trying hard to convince the protesting inmates to end the hunger strike,' a jail official said.The inmates are also protesting against lack of facilities and inhuman living conditions.Like other prisons in the state, Jehanabad jail is overcrowded. It now has over 700 prisoners. The jail, built during the British rule, has a capacity for 120 inmates.Soon after the jailbreak in Jehanabad district by Maoists in November 2005, the Nitish Kumar government declared that jails in the state vulnerable to Maoist attack would be revamped.Overcrowding is common in jails across the state.

As many as 48,000 prisoners are lodged in different jails against the total capacity of 21,745, officials said.The police used force to break the daylong siege of Patna's high-security Beur jail by Maoist inmates Tuesday evening and launched a massive search operation in the cells to seize hidden arms, ammunition and cell phones.

Earth Times

Maoists ‘liberate’ jail for 8 hours Inmates overpower beur guards, behave as they please

NALIN VERMA

Kanu Patna, Dec. 18: Some 300 Maoist prisoners today seized control of a heavily fortified Bihar jail, turning a patch of land 4km from the heart of the state capital into a "liberated zone" for eight hours. The rebellion underlined the Maoists' ability to disrupt high-security prisons two days after some 100 rebels had pulled off a lightning jailbreak in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada. At the Beur Central Jail in Patna today, unarmed Maoist prisoners beat up the guards, vandalised the kitchen and gathered in the courtyard under a Buddha statue. There they stayed from 7am till almost 3pm while the guards huddled near a boundary wall, leaving the entire premises with 2,000 other prisoners at the Maoists' mercy. The unrest was quelled only after some 200 specially trained police jawans were brought in and used their batons to drive the prisoners back into the wards, jail sources said. A handful of crude bombs were discovered along with 14 mobile phones in the cells, but the rebels clearly hadn't wanted to use weapons. Officials said the prisoners could have broken out of the jail between 7am and 10am, when reinforcements arrived, but obviously hadn't planned an escape but only a rebellion. The trigger for the revolt seemed to be Saturday's suicide by guerrilla leader Nagina Majhi in his Beur cell, which had prompted a jail hunger-strike. But intelligence agencies say the CPI (Maoist) also has a strategy to cause unrest at prisons across the country. The prisoners today pounced on the guards during the 6.30am headcount and chased them out of the wards. Next, they broke open the iron door of the cell of Ajay Kanu alias Raviji, the mastermind of the November 2005 jailbreak by nearly 400 Maoists in Bihar's Jehanabad. They also freed another Maoist leader. Kanu, arrested in June and believed to have headed the "people's guerrilla army" in Bihar and Jharkhand, was clearly the man in charge, sources said. A few dozen non-Maoist prisoners, egged on by the rebels, joined them in the courtyard. The rebels shouted demands for a probe into Majhi's death, Rs 25 lakh for his family and improved jail conditions. Some alleged "torture" by the authorities. The government began talks around 10am, after inspector-general (prisons) Sandip Pondrik, district magistrate B. Rajendra and district police chief K. Krishnan arrived at the head of 500-odd Special Auxiliary Police and Special Task Force jawans. But the prisoners stood firm, refusing to board the jail vans that were to take them to courts. Around 2.30pm, about 200 jawans were sent in. Pondrik denied the use of force. Former state police chief R.R. Prasad said Majhi's death must be thoroughly probed. "Hardcore Naxalites do not commit suicide because of physical torture. Majhi must have been mentally tortured," he said. Pondrik said the government had ordered an inquiry.

Naxalites protest comrade's suicide in Patna jail

Patna, Dec 18: In a replay of the jailbreak in Chhattisgarh, hundreds of agitating Maoist inmates took control of the inner wing of Patna's high-security Beur jail Tuesday, protesting against alleged ill treatment by jail authorities.

"At present, Maoist inmates have taken full control of large parts of the jail," a district official said.

It all started when Maoist inmates attacked police personnel on duty inside the jail, forcing them to flee. The inmates freed two top Maoist leaders, including Ajay Kanu, by breaking open the iron door of the cell where they were lodged.

Kanu was the mastermind behind the Jehanabad jailbreak when around 300 inmates, including 150 Maoists, escaped in 2005. He was later arrested and lodged in Beur jail.

The Maoists also reportedly assaulted some inmates, including a legislator, who tried to pacify them.

Maoists have been staging protests inside the jail premises for the last few days after Nagina Manjhi, 40, a member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), committed suicide Dec 14.

Manjhi was found hanging from the iron gate of the jail infirmary where he was being treated for a minor ailment.

Official sources said over 300 Maoists were lodged in Beur jail. The Maoist inmates have found support from hundreds of other inmates.

According to jail officials, there are about 2,400 inmates in Beur jail, almost more than double the capacity of the prison.

Khabreine

Negotiations on to end Maoist siege of Patna jail

Patna, Dec 18 - Hundreds of agitating Maoist inmates continued their siege of the inner wing of Patna's high-security Beur jail Tuesday, protesting against alleged ill treatment by the jail authorities even as officials began a dialogue with them to end the stalemate.

Inspector General (Law and Order) Bihar Police Anil Sinha claimed the situation was under control in Beur jail and negotiations were on with the agitating Maoist inmates.'The situation is under control. We are continuing negotiations with the Maoist inmates and looking into their demands,' Sinha told newspersons.He said top officials of the jail department, police and district administration were negotiating with the agitating Maoist inmates.'Hopefully, everything will be resolved soon,' Sinha said.Downplaying the Maoists' siege, Sinha said only 200 Maoist inmates have been agitating in support of their demands, including a probe into a suicide by a Maoist inmate, Nageena Manjhi, a few days ago in the jail.According to sources in the district administration, negotiations with the Maoist inmates could not succeed as they have demanded a compensation of Rs.2.5 million for Manjhi's kin.Armed personnel of the Bihar Police, Special Task Force and Special Auxiliary Police have moved closer to the jail, ready to use force to break the siege, should that be necessary officials said.

It all started when Maoist inmates attacked police personnel on duty inside the jail, forcing them to flee. The inmates freed two top Maoist leaders, including Ajay Kanu, by breaking open the iron door of his cell.Kanu was the mastermind behind the 2005 Jehanabad jailbreak when around 300 inmates, including 150 Maoists, escaped. He was later arrested and lodged in Beur jail.The Maoists also reportedly assaulted some inmates, including a legislator, who tried to pacify them.Maoists have been staging a protest inside the jail premises for the last few days after Nagina Manjhi, 40, a member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), committed suicide Dec 14.
(c) Indo-Asian News Service

Bihar: A film to expose Maoists

December 18, 2007

Ranchi :/ IANS 12/17/2007 / The Jharkhand police have drawn up a plan to fight a psychological war against Maoist rebels.

The Jharkhand police had sent a proposal to the state home department in November, seeking permission to launch a psychological war against Maoist rebels through television, radio and newspapers.

"A proposal has been sent to the state home department which includes making of a 30-minute film to expose the crimes of Maoist rebels. Radio and newspapers will also be used to expose their misdeeds," a police official told IANS.

He said "the proposal was sent to the home department after formal discussion with the chief minister and other government officials."

The proposal includes publishing photographs of Maoist rebels in newspapers, publishing lists of properties damaged by rebels in the last seven years, collection of illegal taxes by rebels and where the money has been spent, exposing the reportedly lavish lifestyles of its leaders and sexual exploitation of its women cadres.

Seminars at schools and colleges will also be organised to sensitise people about Maoist misdeeds, the officer said. Interviews of police officials will be aired on radio and television.

The 30-minute film will be shown to people through Doordarshan, which has a large reach in rural areas. It will include confessional statements of detained Maoist leaders.

"We cannot fight Maoist rebels unless we get the support of common people living in rural areas. Maoists provoke the rural people against police and the government. We must adopt methods to expose them in their strongholds," the official said.

Maoist rebels have also come out with an audio and video CD to propagate to the masses how the ruling and business class have ruined the state.

The 22-minute film shows how the security personnel enter villages and harass people in the name of anti-Maoist operations. It also shows how police falsely implicate innocent people as insurgents.

The group has made nearly 5,000 copies of the film that will be shown in the villages for seeking support from people and instigate villagers against police and the government.

Maoist rebels are active in 18 of the 24 districts in the state. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in terrorism-related violence in the state in the last seven years.

Maoists invade north Bihar

PATNA, Dec. 11: In what is being considered a move by Maoists to get a foothold in north Bihar after they established their "domain" in large parts of south, central and western Bihar, armed extremists raided the house of a panchayat head at Sukki village in Vaishali last night, killing three villagers. The extremists set ablaze two luxury vehicles of the panchayat head who escaped death. The mukhia, Indra Mohan Singh alias Gugul Singh, who has more than 12 cases of kidnapping, extortion and loot lodged against him with various police stations, is alleged to have established a reign of terror and had been challenging the extremists' might. According to reports, about 80 Maoists, dressed in Army and police fatigues, swooped down on the village. Police said about 150 rounds of ammunition were fired. All the three who died were the mukhiya's kin. Some others sustained injuries. Reports said the Maoists bade the villagers to stay indoors.

According to reports, many women took part in the operation that lasted for about an hour. Police said the common people were terrorised by the mukhiya. They have, however, launched a combing operation against the Maoists.

On Saturday, the extremists blasted an abandoned three-storeyed police outpost at Mahindbara in Sitamarhi. Maoists have gone on the rampage after a Banka court awarded death sentence to five extremists on 6 December, for killing three policemen two years ago. n SNS

Three Died In Naxal Attack In Vaishali

Tuesday, 11 December 2007 Naxalites attacked Sukki village in Patepur in Vaishali district, some 30 km from state capital. More than 100 rounds had been fired by the attacking group in order to spread panic in the area. According to eye witness the Maoists were more than 50 in numbers and were firing madly. They were looking for the Mukhiya of the Sukki village. The police could reach the spot only after 4 hours of accident. A dozen of Naxalites with modern weapons encircled the house of the Mukhiya IndraMohan Singh alias Bigul Singh and searched for him. Finding him nowhere they fired insane at others present in the home. BMP and CRPF has been alerten in the area. Police has taken the area into its custody and various team of police party has been formed, searching the entire area. DIG Arbind Pandey has confirmed the death of three persons and informed the media that bodies were sent for post-mortem. Anil Kumar, KapilDeo and Abhay Kumar has been identified as dead. DGP Ashish R. Sinha has told the situation under control. Police start hunt for red killers

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Patna, Dec. 11: Vaishali district police has launched a massive combing operation after Maoists reportedly killed three persons and injured another in an attack last night. Police believe that the Naxalites had primarily targeted the panchayat leader of Sukki, under Patepur block some 50 km from here. Adjoining police stations have also joined the search for the rebels in neighbouring villages. Inspector-general (operation) S.K. Bhardwaj said a special force from Patna has been sent to the spot as there are possibilities of Naxalites targeting Singh's house again. Mahua sub-divisional police officer Arvind K. Gupta conceded that since the headman was not at home during the attack, he survived, while indiscriminate firing killed three and injured another. The victims are Arun Kumar, Kapildev and Abhay Kant, all between 30 to 40 years. The Naxalites, who put the headman's jeep on fire, also asked the villagers to not be afraid, as they had come in "search of Singh". The villagers have reportedly said that Singh was targeted because he "dared" to challenge the Maoists and had countered some of their attacks. Police added that the headman had criminal cases pending against him and had engaged into property disputes with many people. Sukki is on the border of Vaishali and Muzaffarpur.

Death Sentence puts Bihar police on alert

GAUTAM SARKAR

Banka, Dec. 7: Fear of retaliation has forced Bihar's intelligence agencies and forces to sound a high alert after the Banka fast-track court awarded death sentence to five Maoists — all from the Yadav community — yesterday.

This was the first-ever death sentence awarded by a court in eastern Bihar. For now, intelligence department has alerted officials and officers of Jamui, Bhagalpur, Munger and Banka especially, and has kept a watch on vulnerable areas — railway property, police stations, government offices and public places.

On December 6, 2007, Banka fast-track court of district and sessions judge Gangotri Ram Tripathi sentenced Umesh, Naresh, Dhaneshwar, Suresh and Ashok to death for attacking Anandipur police outpost, under Chandan police station, on November 3, 2005.

The premeditated attack was made during the popular Kali Puja mela and resulted in the death of the outpost officer in charge, Bhawan Singh (a sub-inspector) and two constables Nityanand Kumar and Braj Bhusan Kumar. Three other constables sustained injuries, while Maoists looted pistols, rifles and cartridges. However, the attack's lone survivor, police driver Uday Kant Jha, managed to escape unhurt and lodged an FIR with Chandan (Anandpur) police station.

Talking to The Telegraph today, Banka superintendent of police (SP) Dhrub Narayan Gupta said after the attack, the police nabbed five accused and filed chargesheets against 12. Seven accused are still absconding.

Gupta conceded that chances of a "retaliation" was possible as one of those found guilty, Dhaneshwar, is the son-in-law of Maoist leader, late Balgovind Yadav.

Balgovind was arrested by the police in 2006 and died under "mysterious" conditions in the Bhagalpur central jail.

After Balgovind's death, Maoists damaged tracks on the Kiul-Bhagalpur loop and tried to damage Narganjo railway-bridge on the Kiul-Asansol main section of the Eastern Railway.

Dhaneshwar, hailing from Gouripur, was arrested with his two brothers — Suresh and Naresh. Police suspect that Ashok, a native of Jamui, was especially called in for the "operation", while Umesh lured in the police to Goura Kali Temple on the fateful evening. "Arvind Yadav and Late Balagovind were the masterminds," said Banka SP Gupta. Arvind Yadav, in his confession, admitted his involvement in attacks both in Bihar and Jharkhand. "With his statements we have more clues. We have already started to work on them to apprehend the culprits in other cases," the officer added.

In Banka, high alerts have been sounded in Kotoriya, Chandan and Belhar police stations and also in Anandpur, Jaipur, Suia and Kesher out posts in the Naxalite-hit areas. Similar alerts have been sounded in Munger, Jamui and Bhagalpur.

Intelligence agencies have also received reports of a recent meeting organised in Bhimbandh sanctuary, once a popular tourist destination in Munger and where former superintendent of police K.C. Surendarbabu was shot dead in 2005. The major meet was reportedly attended by 200-odd Maoists from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Jharkhand and Nepal. "It discussed strengthening the support base in eastern Bihar's districts," intelligence sources disclosed.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/

Five naxals get death sentence for killing cops

Banka, (PTI): Five CPI (Maoist) guerrillas were on Thursday awarded death sentence for killing three policemen in Bihar's Banka district two years ago.

Additional district and sessions judge of a fast track court, Gangotri Ram Tripathi, awarded capital punishment to Ashok Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Naresh Yadav, Dhaneshwar Yadav and Suresh Yadav for killing three policemen and injuring as many at a temple at Gaura village in the Chanan police station area on November 3, 2005.

The convicts, along with seven other naxalites of the banned outfit, had shot and hacked to death sub-inspector Bhagwan singh, in-charge of Anandpur police outpost, and two constables Nityanand Kumar and Brajbhushan Prasad and injured three policemen.

They had also looted four rifles, a revolver and 80 rounds of ammunition from them.

The police had chargesheeted 12 persons in the case, but seven are still absconding.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200712061592.htm

Bihar: Another bandh call by Maoists

PATNA: Maoists have given a call for yet another bandh on December 2 to protest against "police loot and the arrest of their north Bihar-western zone secretary Bhaskar".

In a press note released here on Friday, the CPI (Maoist) said Saran, Tirhut and Champaran areas would observe bandh on December 2. It accused the police of "looting" its depot on November 22 and arresting Bhaskar, who was suffering from arthritis, when he was in the state
capital in connection with treatment. The Maoists in a separate press note claimed that the Special Task Force (STF) had arrested Bhaskar and another local supporter from the Agamkuan area in Patna and presented a distorted picture of the whole affair to the media. It denied there was any move by the Maoists to trigger explosions in the secretariat, assembly, jail or any other place in the state capital.

The Maoists said that contrary to the claim of the police, Bhaskar's associate Dhananjay had been arrested by STF even before November 22. They alleged the STF took away Bhaskar like kidnappers — by covering him and bundling him into an unnumbered jeep. Bhaskar was also
allegedly tortured.

The Maoists claimed the police's statement that a truckload of explosives had been recovered was aimed at "covering up the loot committed by policemen". The truck did not contain explosives as claimed by the police, they said adding it actually had a fan, bed sheets, sweaters, one bundle of cloth for trousers and another one for shirts, besides 200 trousers, inner wears, ayurvedic medicines andutensils. The truck also contained Naxalite literature and hard cash
to the tune of lakhs. The Maoists claimed that the STF jawans had "looted all this and then cooked up a story to hide this loot".

Times of India

Three including RJD block chief, village head killed by maoist

Chatra-Jamshedpur (PTI): Three persons - a RJD block president, a village head (Munda) and a chowkidar were killed in two separate incidents by maoists in Jharkhand, police sources said on Friday.

Nanda Kishore Singh, the RJD's Chatra block president, was abducted and killed on Thursday night by the activists of the Sastra People's Morcha, a breakaway group of the CPI (Maoist) at Mokama village in Chatra district, Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Jha told newsmen at
Chatra.

Suspected maoists kidnapped the village head and chowkidar of Titlighat in naxal stronghold Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district on Thursday night and killed them, police sources said.

Confirming the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kamboj said the details were being awaited as the incident had taken place on the Jharkhand-Orissa border under Gua police station of the district.

A massive combing operation have been launched following the incident, he said adding that the bodies have been recovered.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200711231614.htm

Maoist shutdown affects rural Bihar

Patna, Nov 19 (IANS) The 48-hour shutdown called by Maoists in Bihar to protest the violence in neighbouring West Bengal's Nandigram region evoked a mixed response Monday with urban areas unaffected but life in villages being hit. Educational institutions, businesses, and market places remained open in Patna and other urban areas. However, police officials said life in rural pockets, particularly Maoist strongholds, was affected.

"Vehicular movement has been hit in rural areas," a police officer said.

The Bihar government has announced an alert in the state due to the shutdown and police in Maoist strongholds have been directed to be more vigilant than usual.

Bihar Police chief A.R. Sinha said additional security forces had been deployed at important government installations and public places, including railway stations and bus depots.

Railway officials said no trains passing through the state were diverted or cancelled.

http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8895&Itemid=88

A statement issued Wednesday by the CPI-Maoist said: "We unequivocally support the just cause of the people of Nandigram and assure them we shall stand firmly by them in their just and democratic struggle against pro-imperialist policies of the CPI-M and the fascist repression let loose by the state and central government."

Maoist leaders said the red-flag-bearing government of West Bengal has openly come out in support of capitalists and was uprooting farmers and their families to make room for industrialists.

Bihar: 18 Naxalites arrested

Biharsharif: Eighteen members of the banned CPI-Maoist were arrested and a huge cache of firearms and ammunition recovered from them while the rebels were enacting a drama with real weapons in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off that the rebels were enacting a drama "Sultana Daku" with real weapons at Sakri village, teams from five police stations rushed there and caught them in the act, literally.

Eight rifles, three country-made carbines, three pistols, a double barrel gun and 50 bullets were seized from them, SP Amit Kumar told reporters. PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/21/stories/2007112156491600.htm

Naxal explosive seized in bihar

The Principal Home Secretary of Bihar Afzal Amanullah has warned that the naxalites may carry major attack in Bihar in coming days. On Monday, Bihar Police seized more than 400 kg of explosives, including high-powered gelatin sticks stacked by the Maoists, in Bihar's Naxal-hit Gaya district.

After receiving information from state intelligence, Bihar Police conducted raids and seized explosives from a hut in Ghurenabandh jungle under Barachatti police station in Gaya on Monday.

Gaya Superintendent of Police, Amit Kumar Jain, said:

Acting on a tip-off, that the naxalites were clandestinely transporting the explosives including high-powered gelatine sticks in two bullock-carts to the jungle for a major operation, police raided the hut and seized the explosives. The police also arrested one Ramswaroop Bhuiyan in this connection.


Earlier on Saturday, the BJP held the UPA government's "soft policies" responsible for the development of naxal network across the country. The party also criticized the biggest civilian killing occurred in Jharkhand that claimed seventeen lives. The BJP leaders also attacked on Madhu Koda government in Jharkhand for overlooking security concerns in the state.

According to BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the UPA government has to be squarely blamed for the naxal killings in Jharkhand. Due to the government's soft policies, naxal activities are spreading rapidly.

He said:

The Madhu Koda government is more interested in individuals and their constituencies. It has overlooked the interests of the state and security concerns. The government has no responsibility towards the people of the state. This is the complete failure of a government where an independent MLA is CM with the support of RJD, Congress, JMM and other UPA allies.

Rudy further said that the Koda administration has used the huge funds, actually meant for police modernization, for purchasing vehicles for ministers and providing amenities for the ministers in the state.

Tags: BJP, Bihar, Gaya, Naxalites, Jharkhand, Amit Jain, India

http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/400-kg-explosive-seized-in-naxal-hit-district-in-bihar/

Bihar: A Tortured State

By Gladson Dungdung

13 October, 2007
Tehelka

At a time when the government of Bihar is trumpeting its achievements as good governance, the images of a mob led by policemen assaulting a petty thief in Nath Nagar in Bhagalpur, Bihar, shocked the entire country after it was shown on TV. To prove its commitment to good governance, the government took immediate action and punished the two policemen involved in the incident. But the Police Men Association and many senior police officers deny that the incident was a case of police torture and want the two dismissed policemen to be reinstated. They argue that the policemen tried their best to protect the thief but the crowd did not allow them to do so.

But initial outrage created by the live telecast by TV news channels of the Allahabad fake police encounter and the Bhagalpur incident has had little impact on the Bihar police. The cases of police torture are increasing day by day in the state. Soon after the Bhagalpur incident, the police of Bikram Police Station of Patna district severely beat and caused the disappearance of an accused Kaushal Kumar and declared him an absconder to save them from the allegation of torture. In another incident, the officer in charge of Phulwarisharif police station broke the hands and legs of a footballer Santosh Kumar and extracted his teeth. There have also been several incidents of police locking up minor boys after involving them in false cases.

It is notable that these heart-breaking incidents of police torture and high-handedness have taken place near the capital city of Bihar. They serve as crucial examples of misuse of power by the officials who are responsible for the law and order. After Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister of Bihar there, there has been a rise in the occurrence of such cases, at a scale that has not been seen in the history of Bihar before.

People's Watch, a human rights organisation has monitored and analysed the cases of police torture in four districts of Bihar: Patna, Bhojpur, Nalanda and Nawada. Most of the cases included in this study involved custodial torture and death, fake encounters, torture of women, lathi charge, police firing and negligence in duty that took place between July 2006 to June 2007. The study reveals that out of the total victims in these cases of police torture 76 percent victims are male and 24 percent female.

Furthermore, the study shows that the highest number of victims, about 47.5 percent of the total number, is from the Dalit community, followed by the backward community with 31 percent and victims from the higher castes forming 21.5 percent. And occupation-wise comparison of the victims reveal that 45 percent of victims are daily wage labourers, 9 percent students, 5.4 percent house wives, 3.6 service holders, with the remaining 38.4 percent victims coming from other walks of life.

The study reveals the cases of police torture from the angle of age of victims; 11.4 percent of victims are children of age between 0 to 14 years, and 28.3 percent between 15 to 30. On the basis of education, the study showed that 30.1 percent of victims are illiterate or uneducated, 59.1 percent literate or educated, and 10.8 percent highly educated.

The most startling fact is that in 47.7 percent cases, the perpetrators, whether police or private persons, have lodged criminal cases against the victims. The 7.2 percent of torture victims have died up till now and 5 percent cases of police torture have been compromised. The study also reveals that highest number of torture cases, 32 percent, took place in police stations, 27.5 percent at home, 22.6 percent in villages or outside villages and 17.3 percent elsewhere. The perpetrators are 57.8 percent constables, 28.5 percent sub inspectors, 9.8 percent inspectors, 2.5 percent DySPs and 1.4 percent higher officials. The data clearly shows that the lower ranks in police are responsible for the majority of torture incidents.

But none of this constitutes an answer to the key question: why the police use torture on ordinary people? The state director of People Watch and former district & session judge Abhaya Shanker Prasad discloses that the main purposes of police torture is to acquire information from suspects, as punishment to the accused, and for intimidation and teaching a lesson for future. Fake encounters, according to him, are often done for promotion in service, to get a reward but also under political pressure.

The society is also not less responsible for the incidents of police torture. It can be said that the society as a whole has become more violent and demands instant justice. The majority of the people, whether they are from the professional class or common men, support police torture and also denies human rights without a second thought. What is the police for, if not for punishment, is the question they commonly ask. In such a society, the police alone cannot be blamed for such incidents. For the situation to change, individuals must start with respecting human rights within the family as well as the community. Only then will the government's thrust to create an accountable and transparent system of governance can succeed and the human rights of ordinary citizens can be protected.

The fact is that the Nitish Kumar administration has shown some signs of good governance in the state, but the increasing number of incidents of torture, lynching and atrocities against the weakest section of the population has put a question mark over the government's achievements. Police torture is one of the worst forms of human rights violation, which must not be tolerated. The Constitution of India guarantees the right to life, equality, liberty and dignity of individual to its people and the State has duty to protect these rights. There can be no talk of good governance when the basic human rights of citizens are being violated on a day-to-day basis.

Gladson Dungdung is a human rights activist working against police torture in Bihar

Bihar market closed due to Maoist threat

Patna, Oct 9 : A rural market in Bihar's Aurangabad district has remained shut for over a week after Maoists ordered its closure for violating a shutdown call by them. This has badly affected small traders and businessmen and created difficulties for hundreds of people in nearby villages. Tandwa Bazaar in Aurangabad district, about 120 km from here, wears a deserted look as not a single shop has opened since Sep 30 after Maoists issued a diktat to close down the market for one month. The fear of Maoists in this rural area is such that shopkeepers, traders and businessmen refuse to open the market in spite of police deployment and promises of security cover by local administration. Assistant superintendent of police M.S.K. Nayak said: "Police have attempted time and again to convince shopkeepers to open their shops, but in vain." "We cannot risk our lives. Maoist diktat matters more to us than government rule. Some of the traders opened their shops in violation of a shutdown call given by Maoists on Sep 23 so the entire market was closed down by them as a punishment," a businessman who owns a cloth showroom told IANS on condition of anonymity. "Unless Maoists issue a fresh diktat to lift the ban, we cannot open the market. It will create more trouble for us and anger them," another trader, who owns a general store, said Tuesday. The traders' body has already apologised to the Maoists and pleaded with them to open the market in the festive season before Dussehra. "It is a festive season for us. We have sent a message to Maoist leaders, agreeing to their terms and condition for lifting the ban," the general store owner said. But so far there is no information from the Maoists. "We have no option but to wait for the Maoist order to open the market because we are insecure and at the mercy of the Maoists," the cloth showroom owner said. In rural Bihar no one dares to violate Maoist orders due to fear of retribution. The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) with its strong network and armed guerrillas rules the roost. Even police and government officials say they fear the Maoists. A few months ago, a government school in Aurangabad district had remained shut for over six weeks after Maoists demanded money for allowing the construction of its new building. It affected the education of over 250 students. Aurangabad is one of five districts in south Bihar and regarded as a stronghold of the Maoists. "Fear of Maoists and their unchallenged support base makes them feel like kings in the area," a district official said. In rural Bihar, complaints of Maoist extortion during construction and development work are common, often forcing stoppage of projects. --- IANS