NAXAL/ MAOISTS- 2009 - Indian Social Institute

held by the Brahmanitarang police on Thursday. They were identified as Ashutosh Soren alias Motilal ofJharkhand and Atul alias Rajeev of Bihar. They are a prized catch after the arrest of top woman MaoistSobha. They were interrogated by police officials of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh andAndhra Pradesh. They made some startling revelations that they were involved in a number of Maoistrelatedactivities in these States. IG Operations of Orissa Sudhansu Shekhar Sarangi has also arrivedhere for further interrogation. Rs 40,000 in cash, arms and ammunition were recovered from them, saidsources. It has been ascertained that Ashutosh was the decision maker of the assassination of SwamiLanmanananda Saraswati and the Nayagarh mayhem. He was a Central Committee member of CPI(Maoists) and also a close associate of Sabyasachi Panda alias Sunil. They had come to the State tocollect extortion money from industrialists and businessmen. However, their luck ran out this time as thedriver of the private vehicle smelled something fishy and drove them straightaway to the police stationwhere they were overpowered. Speaking to mediapersons Ashutosh said Laxmanananda was on their hitlist and the local cadre of PLGA of Kandhamal district were involved in the murder. Earlier, the cops weretightlipped about their arrests. Even Rourkela Superintendent of Police Santosh Bala had also denied ofhaving any knowledge of the matter, the day the Bhaluata railway station was blasted on the Orissa-Sundargarh border. As the police continued to maintain a stoic silence after the arrests, Ashutosh calledup mediapersons in Rourkela and identified himself as a reporter of a Hindi paper and informed that thetwo were being held by the police. The modus operandi was to force the police to make their arrestspublic and forward them to court. So that they could be sent to judicial custody. The same modusoperandi was employed after the arrest of Sobha. Pioneer 3/3/09)Tribal leader shot dead in Jharkhand (12)Jamshedpur: A local tribal leader was killed by suspected Maoists in Jadugora tola of Jharkhand’s EastSinghbhum district on Wednesday, a senior police officer said. This comes about two months after theultras gunned down a member of a resistance group in the area. Superintendent of Police Navin KumarSingh said Kailash Chandra Hembram, the Secretary of Majhi-Paragana Mahal, was gunned down by twounidentified men at Jadugora Tola, a few kilometers away from Dumaria. Hembram, who died on thespot, was on his way to a fair from his native Patnipal village. (The Hindu 5/3/09)Four tribals killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh (12)Raipur (IANS): The police on Monday recovered the bodies of four tribals allegedly kidnapped by Maoistsin Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, officials said. "The rebels had abducted four men, all aged around 30,late Sunday from Tarlaguda village. Their bodies were recovered on Monday from a hilly area,"Superintendent of Police Ankit Garg told IANS over the telephone. The killing came on the day thenotification for Lok Sabha polls were issued. Maoists have announced a boycott of the general electionsin the state. The bodies were recovered some 500 km from here. The police said the men were killedbecause the Maoists suspected they were police spies.(The Hindu 23/3/09)Maoists get ready for battle ahead (12)JHARGRAM/KOLKATA: The road from Jhargram station leads to an undulating meadow at Simlipal,surrounded by hillocks at a distance with a lush-green cover. Beyond that point, the winding village roadleads to the far-flung hamlets where Maoists have a strong presence. A 60-member strong MaoistGuerrilla Army has already taken position atop Kanaisar Hill bordering Jharkhand and West Bengal.Villagers of Loboni, Pachapani and Jamjurki are keeping their fingers crossed. They fear a bloody battlein this area as soon as the central forces start flush-out operations. "The Kanaisar Hill acts as awatchtower. One can figure out the police movement at least 10 km from Simlipal. Those who havegathered in the hills will retaliate immediately," a villager from Pachapani said. The message has reachedBelpahari police station. Scared of the Maoist retaliation, some of the serving sub-inspectors havemanaged to get transferred to Kotwali and other "safe" places. Others are waiting with bated breath forthe central forces to take the lead. Chhatradhar Mahato, spokesperson of the Maoist-led People'sCommittee against Police Atrocities, sounded defiant. "How is it that the state home secretary talks ofpolice action when the district magistrate is holding talks with our representatives? If police have theirway, we will resist the move come what may," he said. Mahato also denied charges brought against themthe day they mobbed the team of central forces. "Villagers gheraoed them, but nobody opened fire asclaimed by the administration," he said. Home secretary Ardhendu Sen was categorical about the police