West Bengal operations: Forces capture Maoist headquarters

October 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Thursday described West Bengal as an "university of Maoist activities" where the ultras get training and launch armed strikes in other parts of the country. "West Bengal is a university of Maoist activities.

September 28th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Monday sounded a high alert in three Maoist-affected districts following the arrest of People's Committee against Police Atrocity (PCAPA) leader Chattradhar Mahato Saturday. "We've alerted the police and the district administration and asked them to be prepared for any untoward incident and retaliation by the Maoists extremists," West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters here.

August 24th, 2009 Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA - A two-day shutdown called by the Maoists in five states beginning Monday, to demand the release of two of its arrested members, had negligible impact in West Bengal, police said. "The shutdown hardly (had an) impact on the normal life in three West Bengal districts - Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore - which are considered as Maoist strongholds in the state," Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha told IANS.

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 21st, 2009 MIDNAPORE - Dozens were injured as security personnel caned and fired tear gas at tribals who staged a protest against the use of an institute as a camp by security forces in Dharampur region of Midnapore district in West Bengal on Monday. Officials tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement but talks failed, resulting in clashes prompting the police to resort to baton-charge.

July 5th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces Sunday arrested a suspected Maoist linkman from a forest near this troubled area of West Bengal, police said. Lal Mohan Murmu was picked up from the Jhitka forests, once a den of the leftwing rebels by the central and state security personnel patrolling the area.

June 29th, 2009 RANCHI - Eleven Maoist guerrillas were arrested Monday from a Jharkhand village for distriibuting pamphlets. The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) guerrillas were arrested from Cheliyama village in Seraikela and Kharsawa district, about 170 km from the state capital Ranchi.

June 29th, 2009 LALGARH - Paramilitary forces have commenced their final assault on Maoist strongholds in West Bengal on Monday. Latest reports coming in said that central and state security forces had surrounded the Maoist bastion at Katrapahari and they were in the process of beginning of a two pronged assault from the north and south to flush out the rebels.

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 RANCHI - Security forces searching for landmines in Jharkhand were trapped in their vehicle Monday when they came under attack by Maoist guerrillas, who have called for a 48-hour strike in five states to protest the operations against them in West Bengal's Lalgarh area. Maoist rebels blew up the anti-landmine vehicle near Boramora jungle of East Singbhum district, police said as the strike came into effect.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The central government Monday extended the ban on the CPI-Maoist across the country, including West Bengal, which has so far resisted moves to declare the outfit a terrorist organisation, home ministry sources said. The outfit is already banned in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa, where the Maoist rebels have a presence.

June 21st, 2009 LALGARH - Personnel of the CRPF, BSF and West Bengal police on Sunday started moving from Lalgarh to Ramgarh in an operation aimed at sanitising the main road and other connecting routes and wresting control of the 17 villages. According to sources, the 19-km journey from Lalgarh, which the troops reclaimed on Saturday, is likely to be one of the toughest as the road has been mined.

June 21st, 2009 RANCHI - Security has been beefed up in Jharkhand in view of the two-day strike called by the Maoist rebels in five states to protest "Lalgarh operation" being undertaken by security forces in West Bengal. "Security has been beefed up in the state, particularly in Maoist infested districts and in areas bordering West Bengal," a police official told IANS, adding security personnel are on high alert in bordering areas.

June 19th, 2009 LALGARH - The West Bengal Police supported by Central Paramilitary forces launched "operation Lalgarh" to clear the areas in and around Lalgarh from Maoist captivity in West Midnapore district. The security forces are facing tough time in clearing the human shields, consisting of women and children put up by ultras on the way leading to Lalgarh.

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.