News Analysis India

Tag: Dantewada

  • Maoist carrying Rs 2 lakh bounty killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh 

    By Express News Service
    RAIPUR: A cadre of the military wing Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of outlawed CPI (Maoist) was killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Dantewada district of south Chhattisgarh on Monday.

    “The District Reserve Guards (DRG) have recovered a body of the cadre identified as Vaiku Pekko, 24, of the PLGA platoon. She was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on her head,” said Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada district police chief.

    The forces also recovered 2 kg IED, black uniforms, couple of bags, medicines and items of daily use from the encounter site, the SP added.

    According to the police, the encounter took place near Gumalnar, about 30 km away from Geedam in Dantewada, after the Maoists opened fire on the troops.

    There was, however, no report of any injury sustained by the forces in the gun-battle, Pallava stated.

    Dantewada is among the seven worst Maoists-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.

  • Passengers escape miraculously after Maoists sabotage railway track in Chhattisgarh

    Express News Service
    CHHATTISGARH: The passengers of the Vishakhapatnam-Jagdalpur-Kirandul express train had a miraculous escape after the vigilant train driver suspecting the missing fishplates of railway track over a bridge applied emergency brake in Maoist-affected Dantewada district in south Chhattisgarh.

    “A major mishap was averted owing to the alert train drivers who noticed from a distance the railway track was somewhat trembling over a bridge. The emergency brake led to the derailment of the railway engine over a bridge during the small hours of Saturday”, Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada superintendent of police told the New Indian Express.

    The bridge where the incident occurred is at a height of around 50-feet.

    The security forces later assisted the passengers to reach their destinations at Bacheli and Kirandul in Dantewada.

    Pallava said that at around 10 pm on Friday, the freight train had passed through the same track following which the Maoists removed the fishplates and awaited for the arrival of the passenger train.

    After derailment, the Maoists boarded the train coaches, pasted their pamphlets and took away the railway drivers with them in the nearby forest.

    “The drivers were beaten and their walkie-talkie sets snatched away by the Maoists, who for the first time had targeted the passenger train in south Chhattisgarh”, said the Dantewada district police chief.

    Around 50 passengers, who awaited for their last two points of disembarkation, were panic-stricken following the incident.

    Enroute from Jagdalpur to Kirandul, the train halts at four stations — Dilmili, Kaklur, Dantewada, Bacheli and finally terminate at Kirandul, the route falls in the region cited as stronghold of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

    Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh is among the seven Maoist-affected district in the conflict zone of Bastar.

  • Three Naxals surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: Three Naxals, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Sunday, police said.

    Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava claimed the cadres, who were active in Katekalyan area of the district, were impressed by the police’s ‘Lon Varratu’ rehabilitation drive and disappointed with the “hollow” ideology of Maoists.

    Out of the three rebels who surrendered, Budhram Kawasi (24) was active as a militia commander and actively involved in incidents of damaging public property and putting up Maoist pamphlets, posters and banners, he said.

    He was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, Pallava said.

    The two other cadres who laid down their arms were identified as Kosa alias Khuta Kawasi (22) and Lakhma Ram Kashyap (22), both militia members, he said.

    So far, 327 Naxals, including 87 carrying rewards on their heads, have surrendered in Dantewada, located about 400 km from Raipur, since the ‘Lon Varratu’ (which in local Gondi dialect means return to your home/village) campaign was launched in June last year, the official said.

    Under the initiative, the Dantewada police have put up posters and banners in native villages of at least 1,600 Naxals and appealed them to return to the mainstream.

    According to police, Naxals are frustrated with the success of this campaign and hence, they have been putting up posters and banners opposing it in south Bastar.

     

  • In a first, securitymen recover countrymade grenade launcher used by Maoists in Chhattisgarh

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: A countrymade grenade launcher was found by security forces during their search operation near the hilly forested terrain of Ghotiya in the district of Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh, about 450 km south of Raipur.

    The discovery of the camouflaged grenade launcher in the forested surroundings left troopers surprised, said Dantewada’s top cop, speaking to The New Indian Express.   

    “Such a grenade launcher was spotted for the first time in this region. On a tip-off over the presence of Maoists close to the Ghotiya village, a team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) left on the search operation, when they chanced upon the Maoists’ countrymade grenade launcher after the encounter with the rebels,” said Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada district police chief.

    Observing the troopers arriving close to their hideout, the Maoists opened indiscriminate fire near Palli Barsur under the jurisdiction of Malewahi police station. The forces retaliated leading to an exchange of fire. The Red Brigade escaped into the nearby mountainous forests and there was no report of any casualty or injuries so far, the officer added.

    Three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), wire, batteries and items of daily use were also recovered from the site.

    Dantewada is among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar.

  • Two Maoist commanders with bounties on heads gunned down in Chhattisgarh

    By Express News Service
    RAIPUR: the security forces on Saturday gunned down two senior cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in an exchange of fire at Kuakonda in Dantewada.

    “A team of the District Reserve Guards (DRG) was out on a search operation near the forested terrain of Kawasipara, close to Kuakonda, on Saturday afternoon. The troopers in their swift retaliation to the rebels’ attack killed two Maoist commanders on the spot. The forces also recovered two weapons and an improvised explosive device(IED) weighing five kg from the encounter site,” said Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava.  

    The slain Maoists have been identified as Madvi Hadma, deputy commander, and Aayta Etepal, a Jan militia commander, carrying the reward of Rs 3 and Rs one lakh respectively on their heads. Various cases have been registered against them earlier in the police stations of Katekalyan and Kuwakonda, the SP added.

    Dantewada is among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar zone, south Chhattisgarh.

  • CAF head constable killed in IED blast planted by Naxals in Dantewada

    By ANI
    DANTEWADA: A Head constable of the 22nd battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) was killed in a pressure improvised IED blast on Thursday in Dantewada’s Pahurnar area.

    The IED was planted allegedly by Naxals in the area.

    “A Joint team of Dantewada District Reserve Guard (DRG) and CAF 22 Bn were out on an area domination and for surveilling a bridge construction near Pahurnar across the Indrawathi river in the morning.” P Sundarraj IG Bastar said.

    “At around 1 pm, head constable Laxmikant Diwedi of 22 Bn stepped on a pressure improvised IED and got seriously injured in the blast. Later he succumbed to his injuries,” said Sundarraj.

    “He was on surveillance duty for construction of the bridge when the incident happened,” the IG said.

    Laxmikant Diwedia was a native of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh. 

  • 31-year-old wanted Maoist commander killed in Dantewada

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Security forces gunned down a senior Maoist commander in an exchange of fire in the strife-torn Dantewada district, about 450 km south of Raipur on Saturday morning.

    “A gunfight ensued between the team of Dantewada District Reserve Guards (DRG) and the Maoists in the forested terrain of Surnaar and Tetam. A Maoist identified as Masa Muchaki, 31, a ‘jan militia’ commander was killed in the exchange of fire. He was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. There were multiple crimes registered against him,” said Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada superintendent of police.

    Muchaki was militia command-in-chief of Katekalyan Area Committee in Dantewada.

    The troopers, which was out on a search operation, are yet to return to their base camp. So far there is no report of any injury sustained by the forces. The search operation will be further intensified in the region, the SP said.

    Dantewada is among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.

  • Women are getting safe delivery by stopping in pre-birth waiting center, expressed confidence in Bhupesh Sarkar’s plan

    Now women can stop their pre-birth waiting center and get their safe delivery done. Palanar, the primary health center of Kuakonda development block in Dantewada district, had 36 safe deliveries in the last month. Under the guidance of Collector Deepak Soni, several innovations are being conducted to ensure 100% institutional deliveries in the district. In this, people around Palanar are getting the benefit of Health Call Center, Pre Birth Waiting Center, Easy Healthy Dantewada etc. Pregnant women are stopping their pre-natal delivery at the pre-birth weighting center. They are being taken care of at the waiting center. The pregnant women are being motivated for delivery in the local language hospital due to the near time of delivery from the health call center operated in the district. The pregnant woman is constantly contacted via phone to hospitalize.

  • Lon Varratu: Every Maoist cadre from Chhattisgarh village surrender before Dantewada police

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Patience and consistency have finally yielded affirmative results.

    Some six months ago following the launch of counter-propaganda psy-ops ‘Lon Varratu’ (return to your home/village), the Dantewada police identified eleven cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the village and publicly revealed their name.  In a rare occasion for one of the worst Maoist-affected district, all the recognised cadres inhabiting a village had unanimously decided to lay down their arms before the police.

    The Dantewada police through its initial research works had prepared the profile of all Maoist leaders and cadres in the district based on the interrogation reports of the earlier surrendered rebels and the available records accessed from various agencies and sources.

    “We have pasted the pamphlet of all 11 identified rebels who are native of Madkamiras village, about six months ago and all of them have surrendered. In our strive to convince the Maoist cadres that violence doesn’t have a future, the local villagers too are offering encouraging support to our mission”, said Abhishek Pallava, the district police chief.

    So far 288 Maoist cadres have surrendered ever since ‘Lon Varratu’ was initiated in early July last year.

    “In spite of various challenges of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, the security forces could make decisive inroads into some of the erstwhile epicentres of Maoists”, said Sunderraj P, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range).

    Following the surrender, the cadres stated that they realised their indiscriminate following of “hollow, anti-development ideology” of the left-wing extremist organisation. Dantewada is among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh. 

  • State Congress President Mohan Markam will also visit Dantewada with Chief Minister, tour program continues

    State Congress President Mohan Markam will leave for Dantewada by helicopter on January 31 at 11:15 am. Arriving at Dantewada at 12:35 pm, he will attend the inaugural function of the garment factory. At 1:10 pm Devguri will participate in the launch and observation program at Dantewada. Will address the general assembly at Dantewada at 2:20 pm. At 4:35 pm, Danteshwari Temple will offer darshan of the mother and beautification of the pond, publicizing programs and observation. Cricket will participate in the tournament finale at 5:20 pm. At 5:50 pm, various organizations, public representatives and officials will meet and discuss. On Monday, February 1, at 10:45 am, all Chhattisgarh Social Integration Complex will participate in Bhoomipujan program. It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will be visiting Dantewada and Sukma districts on January 31 and February 1. Chief Minister Baghel will leave by helicopter from Raipur at 11:15 am on January 31 and reach Dantewada at 12:35 pm as per scheduled tour schedule.