Armed Maoists stop journalists on way to Lalgarh

October 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - For the first time since the joint forces began their operation to flush out Maoists from the Lalgarh belt, the leftwing ultras Thursday admitted the death of one of their hardcore activists in a clash. "Marang, 21, one of our squad members, was killed by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-supported hooligans and the paramilitary troopers this (Thursday) afternoon," top rung Maoist leader Kishenji alias Koteswar Rao told mediapersons.

August 17th, 2009 LALGARH - The joint security forces and suspected Maoist rebels Monday clashed near Gohomidanga area in West Bengal's trouble-torn Lalgarh over a proposed meeting organised by a tribal body protesting police excesses in the region. According to police sources, the Maoists opened fire at the central paramilitary force troopers and the police personnel when they tried to stop people from heading towards Gohomidanga locality to attend a gathering called by the People's Committee against Police Atrocity (PCAPA) leader Chattrodhar Mahato.

July 24th, 2009 KOLKATA - A police official was abducted by a group of suspected Maoists Friday evening in the troubled Lalgarh region of West Bengal, following which a gun battle ensued between the rebels and security personnel, police said. "We came to know that a policeman was abducted by a group of Maoists in Lalgarh-Ramgarh region.

July 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday demanded an end to the joint security operation against Maoist rebels in the trouble-torn belt of Lalgarh in West Bengal. "The joint operation should stop," Banerjee said and emphasised the need for talks with Maoists to solve the issue.

July 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - More than 100 Maoist rebels were still hiding in Lalgarh forests and many of them are well-equipped with advanced fire arms and ammunitions, West Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said here Thursday. "According our information, more than 100 Maoists are hiding in West Midnapore's Lalgarh and many of them are well-equipped with fire weapons," Sen told reporters.

June 29th, 2009 LALGARH - Using helicopter surveillance and marking from two flanks, security forces Monday reclaimed the remaining Maoist den of Kantapahari and entered the headquarters of the agitating tribals on the 12th day of the operation launched to flash out the rebels from in and around this area of West Midnapore district. While one group of central and state armed forces moved from Lalgarh in the south and retook Kantapahari, the other teams of troopers moved from Ramgarh in the north to march into Barapeli village - the hub of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) which had virtually made Lalgarh a free zone for the last seven months by torching police camps and driving out the civil administration.

June 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - The central government should carry out a statewide operation by deploying central forces to recover illegal firearms from different parts of West Bengal, Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said here Monday. "The Centre should take up this responsibility and conduct operations to recover illegal firearms from across the state," she said.

June 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Authorities in Lalgarh village of West Bengal, which was recently liberated by the police from the Maoists, have set up relief camps to provide rations to the besieged residents. Hundreds of villagers were seen queued up outside the relief camps set at block office.

June 22nd, 2009 MEDINIPUR - Normal life was affected in Medinipur region of West Bengal, as vehicular traffic, shops, schools and colleges were all affected due to the 48-hour Bandh call given by the Maoists, as a mark of protest against the security forces's action in Lalgarh. "Maoists have called for the shutdown because of the atrocities on them and we read about it newspapers and saw it on televisions.

June 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - With combing operations against Maoists in Lalgarh reaching a critical stage, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Sunday appealed to political leaders and NGOs not to venture to the conflict zone in West Bengal.

June 21st, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Sunday appealed to central and state ministers, NGOs, intellectuals and journalists to stay away from the troubled zone of Lalgarh saying it was not in a position to provide security to them in view of Maoist activities in the area. "The central and state security forces are there.

June 20th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces tasted the success in "Operation Lalgarh" by re capturing Lalgarh Police station amidst stiff gun battle and land mine blasts by the Maoist ultras in West Midnapore district of West Bengal. The security men celebrated as the police station fell in their way, which was out of bound for nearly six months after an attempt on life of the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and two other union ministers in last November.

June 18th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee Thursday said the state government was ready to hold talks with tribals on their grievances, and appealed to the Lalgarh villagers not to get provoked by Maoist rebels and not let themselves be used as human shields by the Left radicals. "The Maoists are using innocent villagers, women and children as human shields.

June 18th, 2009 LALGARH - The West Bengal Police, supported by central paramilitary forces, initiated the operation to flush out Maoist from Lalgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. It was the forth day, since the red brigade captured nearly fifty villages in and around Lalgarh, which is nearly 150 Km from the state capital Kolkatta, and declared it as the liberated zone.

June 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Wednesday warned Maoist rebels not to use innocent villagers, especially women and children, of trouble-torn Lalgarh as human shields to ward off any move by the administration to flush out the rebels. "What is happening in Lalgarh is very unjust.