Electronic devices of slain top Maoist leader being examined
Basavaraju, 70, the former general secretary of CPI (Maoist), was among the 27 ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in the Abhujhmad jungles of Chhattisgarh on May 21. Officials said that encrypted devices belonging to the top Maoist — a phone, a hard disk and a laptop — recovered near the encounter site are being decoded at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in the national Capital.
'These devices are being examined by cyber forensics experts for extracting the content and we believe they will have valuable information about the operations, network, arms suppliers, etc,' P Sundarraj, inspector general of Bastar Range, said.
Another officer requesting anonymity said the electronic devices of Basavaraju, who was the topmost Maoist leader for decades and brain behind planning all major attacks since 2003, 'are sure to give us leads about the CPI (Maoist) organisation and its operations which we may have not obtained earlier'.
Basavaraju believed that Maoists can achieve their goals only through armed resistance and hence maintained links with the arms dealers, both within India and abroad, as well as planned the funding, recruitment and established contact with other similar organisations or 'anti-India elements' supporting their cause, the officer said.
'To dismantle the entire Maoist network, we need information available with the top Maoist leadership and that is what we believe will find in Basavaraju's devices. The information such as names and contact details of arms suppliers, network of cadres in various districts, hideouts of senior leadership, details of those in cities who mobilise support for their cause, and future planning in the wake of Indian government's aim to end left wing extremism by March 2026 will help us prepare better,' the officer added.
The top Maoist, who was guarded by at least 25 cadre on the day of encounter, had a cumulative reward of ₹ 1.5 crore on his head and was charged in several cases, including the 2003 claymore mine attack on then Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri in Tirupati. He was also the mastermind of the April 2010 Chintalnar massacre in which Maoists ambushed CRPF personnel returning from patrol and killed 74 soldiers.
Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah during a two-day trip to Chhattisgarh is learnt to have told the security forces to focus on identifying the ideologues of Maoists in cities, other than just ending the armed rebellion, the second officer cited above said. Shah also inquired about the status of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into funding of Maoists.
According to the ministry of home affairs data, while the country witnessed a total of 16,463 Maoist attacks between 2004 and 2014, it came down 53% to 7,744 over the next decade. In these incidents, the number of deaths of security forces came down from 1,851 (2004-14) to 509 (2014-24) while civilian deaths also came down 70% from 4,766 to 1,495 during the period.
During 2019 to 2025, the central forces, in collaboration with state police, have established a total of 320 camps in LWE-affected states, including 68 night-landing helipads. Besides, the number of fortified police stations, which was 66 in 2014, has now increased to around 620.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
a few seconds ago
- Indian Express
Indian-origin Labour politician Thangam Debbonaire calls for removal of a Robert Clive statue in London
Prominent Labour peer Thangam Debbonaire has called for the removal of a bronze statue of Robert Clive currently located near the Foreign Office in London. The East India Company official was a controversial figure in British colonial history in India. 'That statue continues to promote him in a victorious mode and as a symbol of something that had universal good… I don't think it's helpful for any visitor to the Foreign Office, particularly those of us from Indian origins in the diaspora, but also visiting Indian people, Indian dignitaries, ambassadors, trade ministers, to walk into the Foreign Office past that statue. I don't think that presents Britain in a particularly good light in the 21st century,' Debbonaire reportedly stated. The Indian-origin former shadow culture secretary was speaking at the Edinburgh International book festival. She added, 'It's not helpful for our current relationship with India and it is deeply unhelpful to see India as a country that Britain civilised. The bronze statue designed by Scottish sculptor John Tweed was completed in 1912 and has Clive in a formal dress with one hand resting on a sword. Known to be a ruthless military commander, Clive rose through the ranks of the East India Company and is often credited with expanding its presence in the subcontinent. He has been accused of plundering India and acquiring personal treasures. In his book The Anarchy: The relentless rise of the East India Company, historian William Dalrymple refers to Clive as an 'unstable sociopath'. He describes him as 'violent, utterly ruthless and intermittently mentally unstable corporate predator.' In 2020 — when statues of historical figures with links to the British Empire came under threat during the Black Lives Matter protests — a public campaign had also demanded the removal of another Clive statue at Shrewsbury.
Hindustan Times
a few seconds ago
- Hindustan Times
Govt approves maiden cadre restructuring of BSF
New Delhi, The government on Wednesday approved the first-ever cadre review of the Border Security Force in 60 years of its existence enhancing its manpower by about 4,000 personnel between constable and inspector ranks. Govt approves maiden cadre restructuring of BSF A BSF spokesperson said the decision pertaining to the Group B and Group C employees will result in "immediate" promotions to a total of 23,710 personnel. The about 2.65 lakh-strong BSF, raised in 1965, is primarily tasked to guard Indian borders with Pakistan in the west and Bangladesh in the east apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country. "The Government of India has approved the very first cadre review of BSF Group B and C employees, spanning from constable to inspector and its implementation has already begun," the spokesperson said. The order was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after approval from the ministry of finance, and officials said that the cadre restructuring of the two service groups of personnel has led to a net gain of 3,994 posts in the jawan and subordinate officers rank. The spokesperson said this will be a "significant" morale boosting step by the government post Operation Sindoor for "career progression" within the "cutting edge" rank and file. "The review is expected to improve promotion avenues from constable to inspector that will provide significant respite to them from existing stagnation, thereby enhancing overall morale and professional development of force personnel," he said. He also said the decision will lead to a total promotions of 23,710 personnel out of which orders for 8,116 personnel in different ranks were issued by the force headquarters on Wednesday. BSF recruits its personnel from the entry-level of constables who get promoted to the next rank of head constable to the higher posts of assistant sub-inspector, sub-inspector and inspector or subedar major in the B and C group posts. The officers of the force are recruited in the Group A service apart from the Indian Police Service who join the force on deputation. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
a few seconds ago
- Hindustan Times
ED records Raina's statement in illegal betting probe
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday recorded the statement of cricketer Suresh Raina in connection with its larger money laundering probe against several illegal online betting platforms, which use multiple platforms for surrogate advertisements and collect funds from their users, officials said. Former cricketer Suresh Raina. (PTI) The former India player reached the ED headquarters at around 11 am and was examined till evening. Raina's statement was recorded under the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA) for endorsing a sports betting app, which indulged in illegal practices. An officer, without naming the player, said 'another former Indian cricketer has also been asked to appear before the agency.' ED is calling several celebrities to understand their links with the betting apps, any endorsement fee earned and the mode of communication between them. Earlier, the agency had called the representatives of Google and Meta for questioning as part of this probe. The financial crimes probe agency is probing multiple illegal online betting platforms and has questioned tech firms, media houses' representatives who have received money in the form of advertisements from them. Several platforms hosting illegal betting and gambling links, including instances of advertisements placed for them on various social media outlets and app stores, are under the ED scanner. In 2023, the Union ministry of information and broadcasting issued four advisories to newspapers, broadcast news channels, entertainment channels, publishers of online news and current affairs content, online advertisement intermediaries (like Google and Facebook), and social media platforms to not advertise online betting platforms. Despite these instructions from the Centre, eminent personalities in the field of entertainment and sports endorsed them. These actors and sportspersons are also under the ED's scanner and they could be summoned soon, according to an ED officer. According to the information gathered by ED over the past several months, multiple betting platforms, which have been banned over the years, still run their operations by changing names and are promoted by celebrities and social media influencers. 'These platforms are in violation of multiple laws and directions by the Indian government, including tax evasion, money laundering, and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as money is transferred out of the country illegally. It is estimated that around 220 million Indian users are currently engaged on various betting apps, and 110 million of these are regular users,' said the officer. In just the first three months of 2025, more than 1.6 billion visits were recorded on illegal betting websites or apps and it is suspected that the online betting market in India might be worth around $100 million, the first ED officer said. 'The estimates also suggest that top betting apps are evading ₹27,000 crore in taxes every year,' the officer said. The government has issued 1,524 blocking orders against illegal gambling websites and mobile apps between 2022 and June 2025, as revealed in a response from the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) in the ongoing monsoon session.
