NIA chargesheets five Maoist operatives in Chhattisgarh
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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Magadh moves on from Maoist strife after decades of bloodshed
Gaya: Barring isolated incidents such as the burning of road construction machinery and minor extortion demands, the Magadh region, once a stronghold of Maoist insurgents, has witnessed no major violence in recent years. The last significant attack occurred in 2021 on the Gaya-Aurangabad border when nearly a dozen CRPF commandos were killed in Maoist-triggered IED explosions. Four Maoists were also killed in the police's retaliatory operation. For nearly two decades, from the 1980s to the early 2000s, Maoists dominated much of the Magadh division. Govt officials in rural postings and contractors working on infrastructure projects were forced to pay hefty protection money. Almost all block-level officials abandoned their headquarters, living instead in Gaya city or sub-divisional towns such as Sherghati. That situation has now changed dramatically. The region's history is marked by some of the worst massacres in Bihar's insurgency years. In Dalel Chak Baghora (Aurangabad district), 55 men, women and children from a landowning caste were killed. In Bara (Gaya district) and Senari (Jehanabad district), 35 male adults were slain in each incident. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo In retaliation, the Ranvir Sena, a private militia of the Bhumihar community, massacred 55 people, mostly Dalits, in Laxmanpur Bathe (Arwal district) and 35 OBCs and Dalits in Miapur village (Aurangabad district). The Maoists also staged the high-profile Jehanabad jail break, freeing about 400 inmates, including veteran leader Ajai Kanu, and killing nearly a dozen prisoners suspected of being Ranvir Sena supporters. In another attack, they stormed Tekari police station in broad daylight, killing five policemen. Today, most of these areas are peaceful. Arun Kumar Prasad, a retired professor of philosophy, attributes the decline of Maoism to "a mix of administrative, ideological, social and economic factors". He said retaliation by the Ranvir Sena had a significant effect. "Maoists, operating on the principle of minimum risk, retreated when challenged through counter-violence," Prasad added. However, Masoom Aziz Kazmi, a retired IPS officer and former Aurangabad SP during the height of insurgency, said, "The Ranvir Sena was a factor, but not the main one. Improved police mobility due to better roads and an offensive policing strategy paid dividends." Observers also point to a change in political approach. "While the Lalu-Rabri govt appeared to treat Maoists with kid gloves, the Nitish govt adopted a more business-like and at times ruthlessapproach," said one. Anup Kedia, former head of the Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce, said the poor had grown disillusioned with the Maoist leadership. Whatever the reasons, the decline in Maoist activities in Magadh is now unmistakable. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
‘Suspicion no substitute for proof': HC upholds acquittal of 2 in explosives case
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court has upheld a Bastar trial court's 2016 decision to acquit two men accused of possessing tiffin bombs and being active members of a banned Maoist organisation, observing that "suspicion, no matter how strong, cannot take the place of proof. " A division bench of Justice Sanjay S Agrawal and Justice Radhakishan Agrawal dismissed the state's appeal against the acquittal of Muchaki Deva (38) and Vijja Podyami (35), who were booked under the Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam, 2005, and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. According to the prosecution, both men were apprehended in Sept 2015 near Bhadrimahu village, Bastar, during a search operation, and explosive devices were recovered based on their statements. However, the trial court found contradictions in the seizure proceedings and noted the absence of an FSL report to confirm that the seized material was explosive. The HC, after examining witness statements, found "major contradictions and omissions" in the testimonies of the investigating officer and two seizure witnesses. The bench noted inconsistencies about the location of the seizure and confirmed that all seizure documentation had been signed at the police station rather than at the spot of the case. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Transform Your Garden Overnight with These Genius Tricks! Kingdom Of Men Undo The court emphasised that the prosecution failed to produce clinching evidence linking the accused to the alleged explosives. "The entire case was based on suspicion, but suspicion cannot substitute for proof," the judgment said. Concluding that the trial court's acquittal was "just and proper", the high court said there was no reason to interfere with the order, thereby dismissing the state's appeal. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Why Maoists are on the wane in the once-dreaded Red Corridor
Once considered a formidable internal security threat, Maoist insurgency has shrunk from controlling the vast Red Corridor to just 18 districts of the country. The underlying factors are not only the targeted development schemes and sustained counterinsurgency operations, but also internal rifts, ideological rigidity, leadership crises, and alienation of support base, according to security experts and the surrendered members of the outfit. At its peak in the late 2000s, the Red Corridor spanned nearly 180 districts, encompassing a large part of India's population. However, official statistics shows the scale of decline: the incidents of Left-Wing Extremism dropped by more than 50% between 2004-14 and 2014-23, with fatalities falling by nearly 70%. Naxal-related violence had peaked at 1,936 incidents in 2010, but plummeted to 374 by 2024, while deaths dropped from 1,005 to 150. A close examination of Dandakaranya by security experts – a forested expanse covering parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra that was treated by Maoists as their de facto capital for over two decades – indicated some possible reasons behind their waning influence. As disclosed by several surrendered Naxal leaders, the outfit prioritised military preparedness and ideological indoctrination over any tangible development in the regions it controlled, and the very communities which it claimed to be championing suffered. In the recent past, the outfit has reportedly been facing a leadership crisis. The resignation of Muppala Lakshmana Rao, known as Ganapathy, in 2018 is considered to be the turning point. He was succeeded by Basava Raju, but the crisis deepened. He leaned heavily on military offensives rather than 'political outreach and civil engagement', alienating the support base. In May 2025, he was among the Maoists gunned down by security forces in the Maad region of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur. The CPI (Maoist), through its Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, said that Raju's death was a result of betrayal from within, including the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army Company No. 7 that was responsible for his security. While the reported internal rifts have been crucial, operations by security forces have accelerated the collapse of the outfit. The killing of Maoists in Narayanpur during the 21-day-long exercise, hailed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as a landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism, dealt yet another blow to the outfit. Security agencies have reasons to believe that the outfit's decision-making body, Politburo, has now just four active members: Muppala Lakshmana Rao aka Ganapathy, Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Abhay, Deo Kumar Singh alias Deoji, and Misir Besra. Ideologically, the outfit is said to be losing its relevance with the younger peasants and tribals increasingly focused on education, employment, and integration into mainstream society. In his Mann Ki Baat address last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about one Om Prakash Sahu from Gumla in Jharkhand, which was once infested with Naxal activities. '…Om Prakash Sahu ji left the path of violence. He started fish farming. Then he inspired many friends like himself to do the same,' said Mr. Modi, adding that over 150 families of Basia block in Gumla have joined fish farming. Several surrendered leaders and members have advocated shunning of violence. Ginugu Narsimha Reddy, a former Central Committee member who surrendered along with his wife in December 2017, has spoken about finding peaceful solutions. He has also highlighted differences within Maoist groups. The internal disputes, underscored by the surrendered Maoists, are said to be compounded with the outfit being isolated politically.
