Lalgarh scene of violence again by Maoists

September 27th, 2009 LALGARH - An elusive tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who has been spearheading an agitation since November last year against alleged police excesses in West Midnapore's troubled Lalgarh area, was arrested here on Saturday. Mahato, leader of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), which has been spearheading agitation against alleged police atrocities, was nabbed from Pirka region, near Lalgarh village.

September 24th, 2009 LALGARH - Two local leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were killed by suspected Maoists near Lalgarh. According to police, Maoists abducted Nemai Bishayi and Samir Singha Mahapatra late last night from a party meeting in Harimara village.

July 31st, 2009 LALGARH - Maoists provoked Lalgarh villagers to protest against the deployment of security forces since they reclaimed the Maoist held 'liberated zone.' The Maoists were evicted from the trouble-torn Lalgarh region at June 20 after an almost week-long joint operation by the State and Centre's elite security forces. But the villagers have continued protests since, demanding the security forces to retreat to normal days, a move which officials apprehend is a ploy to give the Maoists a foothold again.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday said that violence at Lalgarh should stop immediately.

June 28th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces on Sunday arrested two suspected Maoists and defused seven landmines from Lalgarh, while flushing out the Maoists hiding around the troubled area of West Bengal's West Midnapore. Five landmines were recovered from Binpur, while two more were found near Kargil junction at Bankura district, said Raj Kanojia, Inspector General of Police.

June 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces on Friday reclaimed control over Kadasole village from Maoists, located north of Lalgarh in West Midinapore district, during phase II of ongoing operations against the naxals who set off two landmine blasts. Led by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the troops including jungle warfare expert and personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion and State Armed Police, who were helped by a helicopter, exchanged fire for 45 minutes with the Maoists who later fled the village, said a senior CRPF official.

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 20th, 2009 KOLKATA - A convoy of 20 media vehicles, presspersons on board, came in for a shock on Saturday evening when a group of Maoists surrounded them and took them away from the State Highway into Maoists infested villages, according to reports received here. The armed Maoists did not allow the mediapersons to operate their cameras and asked them to abide by directions on route.

June 20th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces in West Bengal's Midnapore on Saturday declared to have regained control over the troubled Lalgarh area of West Bengal. According to Director General Of Police, Midnapore, Praveen Kumar, they have regained control of Lalgarh, which was captured by Maoist rebels in one of the most brazen attacks in recent years.

June 19th, 2009 PIRAKATA - Fear stalks the villagers trapped in the exchange of fire between the security forces and the Maoist rebels who declared Lalgarh region of West Bengal 'liberated zone'. The gun battle between the paramilitary troops and the Maoists caused unease amongst the residents of Pirakata village, 18 kilometres from Lalgarh, and from where the security personnel launched their operation against the rebels.

June 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Government on Friday ruled out the possibility of sending armed forces to fight Maoists in the wake of violence in Lalgarh area in West Bengal. Addressing an Army function in the national capital, Defense Minister A.

June 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Members and supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M) staged a sit-in demonstration in national capital on Thursday to protest against the violence by the Maoists in the West Medinipur ditrict of West Bengal. "As far as Maoists are concerned these are gangs who believe in violence.

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 Lalgarh (West Bengal) (ANI): The Maoist have blocked access to Lalgarh in West Bengal putting up a three tier human shield, including women and children to prevent entry of central paramilitary forces, who are planning free the area from them. According to police sources, the Maoists have formed a three-tier human shield with women and children in the vanguard, men behind them and armed naxals at the rearguard.

March 25th, 2009 KOLKATA - Police will carry out a combing operation to sniff out Maoist rebels from the tribal-dominated Lalgarh region of West Bengal before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, an official said Wednesday. 'We will be sending police forces to Lalgarh before the April-May elections to search out Maoists guerrillas in the region so that polls can be conducted in the district peacefully,' West Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters here.