Latest news with #Naxal-hit
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Chhattisgarh: Additional SP killed in IED bast days before daughter's birthday
Raipur : Akash Rao Girepunje, additional superintendent of police Akash Rao Girepunje was killed in a Naxal-planted IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, just two days before his daughter's sixth birthday. The 42-year-old officer, posted in the insurgency-hit Konta division of Sukma since March 2024, was critically injured when a pressure-IED exploded during a patrol in the Konta area. He succumbed at a hospital shortly after. Two other police personnel were also injured in the explosion. Girepunje, a native of Raipur, had planned to visit his in-laws' house in Bhandara, Maharashtra, for his daughter's birthday on June 11. 'He had promised his daughter he would be there, no matter what,' said his younger brother, Adarsh Girepunje. 'We never imagined that his recent visit home on May 20 for his son's birthday would be our last meeting.' Adarsh, an MBBS graduate preparing for post-graduation, recalled receiving a call at around 9:30 AM on Monday from his brother's security staff informing him about the blast. 'At first, I was told he was injured. But just half an hour later, I got the devastating news that he was no more,' he said. Girepunje is survived by his wife Sneha, their two children—a 7-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter—and his elderly parents. His father, Govind Rao Girepunje, runs a small garage in Raipur. Akash was the second among five siblings. A commerce graduate from a government college in 2004, Girepunje had aspired to become a government officer since childhood. He prepared for the UPSC in Delhi, clearing the preliminary exam four times but failing to crack the mains. He cleared the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission exam in 2008 and was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police in 2013. He also cleared public service exams in multiple states and briefly worked in a nationalised bank before joining the police. 'Bhaiya had a passion for teaching and mentoring UPSC aspirants. He inspired two of our cousins to take up civil services preparation,' Adarsh said. Known for his fearless service in Naxal-hit regions like Mohla-Manpur and Konta, Girepunje was instrumental in establishing new police camps and strengthening security infrastructure. 'Fighting Naxalites was not just a job for him, it was a mission. He never flinched in the face of danger,' Adarsh added. Girepunje's mortal remains were brought to Raipur and taken to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Hospital for post-mortem. A large crowd gathered at his Kushalpur residence to pay their final respects. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who postponed his scheduled visit to Rajnandgaon, visited Girepunje's family and paid tributes. 'He showed unmatched courage and dedication to his duty. His sacrifice will not go in vain,' the CM said in an official statement. The CM later chaired a high-level meeting to review anti-Naxal operations and also visited a private hospital to check on the condition of the two injured officers. He was accompanied by senior state officials including Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Manoj Pingua, DGP Arun Dev Gautam, and ADG (Anti-Naxal Operations) Vivekanand Sinha.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Curb cybercrime in N Chotanagpur: IG
1 2 Bokaro: The inspector general (IG) of North Chotanagpur zone, Kranti Kumar, on Thursday directed the police officials from six districts — Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribag, Chatra, Koderma, and Ramgarh — to formulate a comprehensive strategy to tackle organised crime, cybercrime, drug trafficking , and Maoist activities. IG Kumar said, "Police personnel will receive advanced hi-tech training to deal with complex digital fraud and cyber frauds." He stressed upon the need for a strong surveillance mechanism against drug mafias and human trafficking networks and crack downs. "Intensify combing and intelligence operations to restore civilians' confidence in the forces and ensure people's safety in Naxal-hit areas," he urged the personnel, emphasising the importance of people friendly policing and community trust.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Chatra village bridge project gets stuck in bureaucratic limbo
Chatra: The 2,000 residents of Potam village under Hedum panchayat in remote Naxal-hit Lawalong block of Chatra district would have to face transportation hurdles again during the rainy season as their demand for a bridge continues to be ignored. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Govt teams visited the place several times to measure the construction site, but the work never began. Area residents said that they have been awaiting a bridge over the Thekhi river since independence. Despite survey teams's visit to the site multiple times, around 300 households, including students and workers, are forced to walk 1.5 km daily to access the main road. "Schoolchildren are forced to navigate a treacherous 1.5 km path through bushes and cross a 300-ft stretch of the rain-fed Thekhi river to reach their school transport," said a villager. Area resident Somnath Yadav, who has been pursuing bridge construction since 2010, highlighted that 78 years post-Independence, the village lacks basic amenities. "Medical emergencies are particularly challenging, requiring a 1.5 km walk to reach healthcare facilities. During monsoons, residents must take a 10 km detour via Jawari village. Despite repeated surveys and measurements, no concrete action has materialised," he said. Students Amit Kumar (Std-3) and Bablu Kumar(Std-6) expressed their daily struggle of walking a kilometre to school, emphasising their desire for a bridge. Hedum panchayat mukhiya Santosh Ram revealed that bridge proposals were approved in gram sabha meetings during 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years with requests for DMFT funding sent to district offices. "However, these proposals remain unprocessed," he said. Lawalong block development officer (BDO) Bipin Bharti said, "I will apprise the district administration to look into the matter and request the officials to take necessary steps."
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Modi-Shah's unwavering resolve against Naxalism is bearing results
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has achieved what no Indian leader before him could — he has broken the backbone of Naxalism through an unrelenting mix of resolve, strategic clarity, and national will. That mission saw another major victory in Jharkhand recently. Last week, the Latehar police, in a joint operation with the CRPF, under the leadership of SP Kumar Gaurav, achieved a big success. In a fierce encounter in the forests of Ichawar, Latehar district, the forces neutralised Pappu Lohra, the top commander of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh. Alongside him, Prabhat Ganjhu, another dreaded extremist with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, was also gunned down. This marks a decisive step forward in restoring peace in Jharkhand's Naxal-hit regions. This follows another historic breakthrough in Chhattisgarh, where 26 Naxals, including top Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavraj, were neutralised by security forces. Basavraj — the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist) and one of the most elusive Maoist leaders — carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore. His elimination has dealt perhaps the biggest blow ever to the Maoist movement, shattering both its ideological leadership and operational backbone. This is not an isolated success; it is the result of a decade-long campaign against Left-wing extremism waged under Modi's leadership and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's precise and forceful execution. The red corridor — once a symbol of bloodshed, state retreat, and Maoist tyranny — is now shrinking both geographically and ideologically. When PM Modi assumed office in 2014, the Naxal threat was at a dangerous peak. Over 120 districts, spanning dense forests in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra, lay under the shadow of Maoist rule, enforced not by law but by guns. The state vacillated between paralysis and misplaced appeasement. Civilians paid the price with high casualties, security forces were repeatedly ambushed, and India's internal security apparatus was stretched thin. The country's unity and sovereignty were under severe threat. Modi's approach was radically different. He declared Naxalism the country's most serious internal security threat and vowed not merely to manage but to decisively defeat it. This vision has evolved into a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy — blending tactical precision, last-mile development, and deep political will. The results today speak volumes. From 126 Naxal-affected districts in 2014, the number has been pared down to just 38. The most affected districts have halved from 12 to six; districts of concern dropped from nine to six, and the category of other LWE-affected districts plummeted from 17 to six. Violent incidents attributed to Maoists have fallen by over 50 per cent since 2013 — from 1,091 to 412 in 2023. Civilian deaths have declined by a staggering 86 per cent, and casualties among security personnel have reduced by 77 per cent. In 2014, 56 jawans were martyred while 63 Naxals were killed; today, these numbers have reversed, proving the state has regained control and momentum. But the Modi-Shah doctrine is not just about guns and operations. It embodies a philosophy of replacing alienation with aspiration. Recognising that Naxalism thrives in areas of deprivation and neglect, the government launched massive development initiatives in insurgency-affected tribal regions. Thousands of kilometres of roads have been constructed, opening up villages once cut off from the rest of the country. Mobile network coverage in core LWE areas soared from under 30 per cent to over 90 per cent, connecting millions digitally for the first time. The government's Special Central Assistance Scheme guarantees Rs 30 crore annually to each severely affected district, ensuring targeted development reaches the grassroots. Over Rs 6,500 crore has been disbursed to enhance police capabilities, build infrastructure, and modernise security forces. Piped water, solar lighting, health centres, fortified police stations — are all now visible in areas that were once lawless and unreachable. This is governance reclaiming the lost spaces of the republic. Equally crucial has been the humane policy of surrender and rehabilitation. More than 8,000 Naxals have laid down their arms since 2014, with 1,600 surrendering in just the past 16 months. These former militants, many battle-hardened cadres, are being offered new lives through rehabilitation and skill development, further weakening the insurgency. Shah's clear dual-track approach — embrace those who return to peace, crush those who persist in violence — has delivered far better results than decades of vacillation. While the Modi-Shah doctrine has shown unwavering resolve, the contrast with the previous UPA regime could not be starker. The UPA government's approach to Naxalism was marked by confusion, inconsistency, and a clear lack of political will. While the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram famously declared in 2011 that 'winning hearts is key to winning the battle against Naxalism' and ruled out the possibility of a military operation, senior Congress leaders like K Keshava Rao openly labelled Naxalism as a 'socio-economic problem', urging the Centre to 'solve it instead of running away from it.' The most glaring example was the appointment of Binayak Sen — convicted on the charge of being a Maoist sympathiser — to the Planning Commission's Steering Committee on Health during the drafting of the 12th Five Year Plan. The results today are a testament to the government's unwavering resolve and strategic clarity. Through a calibrated blend of security action, development outreach, and political determination, Naxalism has been taken up head on. As India marches toward a Naxal-free future by 2026, PM Modi's doctrine stands as a model of how strong leadership can overcome even the most entrenched internal threats. The writer is national spokesperson, BJP
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Chhattisgarh Board 10th Results 2025: Meet Ishika Bala, cancer survivor who scored 99.17 per cent in CGBSE exams
A student of Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker district, she shares the position with Naman Kumar Khuntia of Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur district. Ishika, who hails from a modest family in PV (Paralkot Village)-51 village in the tribal-dominated and Naxal-hit Kanker district, said she aspires to become an IAS officer. But even now, the 17-year-old could be an inspiration to many. Paralkot villages are located in the Pakhanjore area, where Hindu Bengali refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, were settled. According to her family, Ishika was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2023 when she was in Class 10th. The 17-year-old recently overcame cancer, but she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years, they said. She could not take her board exam last year due to cancer, as she underwent treatment in a private hospital in Raipur. 'I want to pursue engineering and will opt for Maths in the next class. I will then prepare for the UPSC exam as I dream of becoming an IAS officer,' Ishka told PTI. Throughout her treatment, Ishika did not let her ambition take a back seat and continued her academic journey with full determination. 'At times, I thought I would not be able to study further. But I didn't give up as I had trust in myself. It is important to have confidence in yourself,' said the teenager. Her farmer father, Shankar Bala, said she was treated at Balco Medical Centre in Nava Raipur and was recently declared free from cancer. She will need to undergo routine check-ups for the next 2-3 years to avoid a recurrence, he said, adding that Ishika is the third among his five children. 'She defeated cancer with her willpower and courage. The entire family cared for her during her treatment and kept encouraging her to continue her studies. Her perseverance paid off, and she topped the board exam,' said the proud father. Despite having modest means, Shankar said he would ensure the best education for all his kids so that they can have successful careers. The Chhattisgarh Board held the Class 12 board exams between March 1 and March 28 and the Class 10 board exams took place from March 3 to March 24.
