Maoists backed tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato arrested in Lalgarh

October 3rd, 2009 RANCHI - Maoist rebels active in Jharkhand on Saturday threatened to carry out more attacks on Government establishments, politicians and security forces if their top leaders, presently under detention were not released. The Maoists have also given a call for a 24-hour shutdown condemning the arrest of their leader Chhatradhar Mahato of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA).

October 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Maoists are showing no signs of relenting or backing off from their campaign to secure the release of their key leaders Kobad Ghandy and Chakradhar Mahato. The Maoists have said that they intend to disrupt normal life in other states where they have a presence.

October 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - Demanding the immediate release of Chhatradhar Mahato, an elusive tribal leader of a Maoist backed outfit, supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation, took to the streets here on Thursday. Carrying banners and placards, CPI (ML)-L activists and supporters torched effigies of Home Minister P.

September 30th, 2009 KOLKATA - A Maoist sponsored 48-hour shutdown disrupted normal life in West Bengal on Wednesday. Shops, educational institutions and business establishments remained closed in Jangalmahal area of West Midnapore district.

September 28th, 2009 LALGARH - Arrested tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, was remanded to five day's police custody on Sunday. Mahato has been remanded to five day's police custody after being produced at the Jhargram Magistrate's Court.

September 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Posing as journalists, police sneaked in on Chhattradhar Mahato, chief of a Maoist-backed body at the forefront of the violent agitation in this trouble-torn belt of West Bengal, and arrested him Saturday, prompting the rebels to call a nationwide shutdown Oct 3. Mahato, leader of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was nabbed from Birka near the headquarters of Lalgarh block in West Midnapore district, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha told IANS.

September 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Tribal leader Chhattradhar Mahato, chief of a Maoist-backed group at the forefront of a violent agitation in this trouble-torn belt of West Bengal, was arrested Saturday. Mahato, leader of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was nabbed from Birkara near the headquarters of Lalgarh block of West Midnapur district, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha told IANS.

August 2nd, 2009 LALGARH - A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was among two people killed by suspected Maoists in and around this trouble-torn belt of West Midnapore district early Sunday. Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Kuldip Singh told IANS that 15-20 left wing extremists raided the house of CPI-M leader Nepal Mahato in Amdanga village of the Lalgarh-headquartered Binpur-II community block and slit his throat after dragging him out on the road.

June 30th, 2009 LALGARH - Denying that he has fled from Lalgarh, agitating tribal leader Chattradhar Mahato Tuesday said he was still in this troubled area of West Bengal "with my people". "I am still staying in Lalgarh and there is no question of fleeing this region as I have committed no crime," said Mahato, chief of People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), which spearheaded the establishment of a virtual "free zone" in the area seven months back.

June 24th, 2009 LALGARH - Amid allegations that security forces were ransacking homes and even throwing away food, villagers in this trouble zone where operations to flush out Maoists have been on for a week said Wednesday they would continue to put up resistance. "Lot of people have fled the villages.

April 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - An influential tribal body in West Bengal's troubled Lalgarh village block Thursday urged people to vote against the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the Lok Sabha polls. Spelling out the stand of the tribal body Peoples' Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), its leader Chhattadhar Mahato said people could support any party other than the CPI-M.

April 13th, 2009 KOLKATA - A video recording of a West Bengal minister's election speech lambasting a prominent tribal leader will be sent to the Election Commission Tuesday to see if he has violated the model code of conduct, an official said Monday. Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty in an election meeting threatened Chattradhar Mahato, who is spearheading a tribal movement in Lalgarh area under the aegis of People's Committee Against Police Atrocity (PCAPA).

April 10th, 2009 KOLKATA - The crisis in West Bengal's tribal-dominated Lalgarh area where residents have been protesting police 'excesses' and resisting a planned government crackdown against Maoist rebels, deepened Friday with a senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and tribal leader trading charges on the agitation. Lambasting the movement of the tribals who are not allowing the police to enter the region, the CPI-M's Subhas Chakraborty said: 'No one has the right to stop the police from entering any region.

April 6th, 2009 KOLKATA - People from Lalgarh will put up mass resistance if security forces tried to enter the area, their top leader said here Sunday, a day after the West Bengal government said it will soon announce a plan to enable the police enter the tribal-dominated region. 'We will not allow the police or the central paramilitary forces to enter Lalgarh.

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.