Maoists hijack train in Jharkhand

October 6th, 2009 RANCHI - Police officer Francis Enduwar, abducted by Maoists five days ago, has been killed in Jharkhand, a senior police official said Tuesday. The Maoists had demanded that three of their leaders, including Kobad Ghandy, be released in exchange for Enduwar.

October 6th, 2009 RANCHI - Jharkhand Police on Tuesday said they had found the decapitated body of kidnapped police inspector Francis Enduwar. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jharkhand Range), R.K.Malik, said that Enduwar's headless body was found at around 9.15 a.m.

September 30th, 2009 BANGALORE - Maoist rebels, who were active in Jharkhand, of late have shunned their weapons and instead are following the way of spirituality. This was disclosed at a press conference addressed by former Maoists as well as resource guides of the Art of Living, a spiritual movement founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar here on Tuesday.

September 24th, 2009 HAZARIBAGH - Police recently arrested three Maoists cadres after a fierce gun battle in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district. The arrested Maoists owe their allegiance to the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), in Keredari forest areas of the district.

September 17th, 2009 PALAMU - Five farmers in Kadal village in Jharkhand's Palamu district were forced to leave their recently purchased land, as the Maoists staked a claim to it under the Red cauldron. The Maoists have reportedly taken over acres of land in the region, even the piece of land in question, had been taken over by them 20 years ago.

August 1st, 2009 LATEHAR - The ultras belonging to the banned Maoists organizations on Saturday set fire to two pay-loaders of the Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) near Tori Railway station in Jharkhand. According to sources about twenty members of Maoist outfit, Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), attacked the CCL 's coal loading site and set on fire the pay-loaders.

July 22nd, 2009 RANCHI - The shutdown call given by Maoists against rising prices of the essential commodities in Jharkhand evoked a mixed response here today. Mohammed Sahid, a train passenger said, "Maoists were justified in giving a shutdown call." Mohammed Chand, a bus agent, said that everyone was at loss and nobody would gain anything from this shutdown.

June 1st, 2009 RANCHI - Three people were injured while trying to fight robbers who looted cash and other valuables worth Rs.200,000 from train passengers in Jharkhand, police said Monday. Around 10 robbers raided a sleeper coach of a passenger train between Telo and Chandrapura railway stations Sunday night.

May 1st, 2009 RANCHI - The Jharkhand government Friday transferred three senior officials in Latehar district after five villagers were allegedly gunned down by the security forces and branded as Maoist rebels last month. The state government transferred Deputy Commissioner of Latehar Sarvendu Tathagat, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Palamau Range) Nandu Prasad and district Superintendent of Police Hemant Toppo.

April 22nd, 2009 RANCHI - Maoists released a passenger train they had hijacked in Jharkhand's Latehar district Wednesday after a three-hour standoff, district and railway officials said. 'The train has been released by Maoists and has moved from the station,' Latehar District Magistrate Sarvendu Tathagat told IANS.

April 22nd, 2009 RANCHI - Around 200 Maoist rebels hijacked a train carrying over 400 passengers in Jharkhand's Latehar district Wednesday, a day ahead of the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, police said. Security forces scrambled for helicopters to survey the stranded train, prior to mounting a rescue operation.

April 14th, 2009 RANCHI - Maoists in Ranchi in Jharkhand call for shutdown, forcing normal life to come to a standstill. The shutdown was called to disrupt the ongoing election process.

March 25th, 2009 RANCHI - Movement came to a standstill in Jharkhand's Ranchi district due to the daylong shutdown called by the Maoists on Wednesday. The shutdown was called as mark of protest against alleged harsh police treatment meted out to Maoists in prisons.

March 17th, 2009 LATEHAR/CHATRA - Maoists in Jharkhand call for boycott of the general elections, which is scheduled to be held next month. In Latehar and Chatra district of Jharkhand, the Maoists have painted the walls with writings, threatening villagers from casting votes and with dire consequences if they take part in the polls.

February 26th, 2009 KOLKATA - Four Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were injured, one of them seriously, when suspected Maoists fired at them at a railway station in West Bengal's Purulia district, officials said Wednesday. State Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said the Maoists sprayed bullets when the RPF personnel were boarding the Subarnarekha Express at Barbhum railway station in Purulia, about 200 km from here.