Police Resort to Art as Counter-PropagandaMangalore

Mangalore: Men in khaki are often at the receiving end of some nasty criticism by naxalites operating in Malnad region of the State.They manage to ransack some remote forest office or paste anti-government pamphlets at bus stops in the heart of Malnad town. And each time, they target the policemen.Now the State Police Department has decided to take the naxalites head on in this ongoing propaganda war through the medium of drama. Sangama Kalavidar of Manipal will aid them in this task. Starting this Saturday members of Sangama Kalavidar will stage the drama "Haseeru Naadina Kempu Haadhi" (Red Path of Green Land) in nine places in Chikmagalur and Udupi district every weekend till November. The troupe had staged this drama in Bangalore.The drama would be staged in Sringeri (October 28), Basarikatte (Ocotober 29), Kigga (November 4), Shamse (November 5), Shankarnarayana (November 11), Ajekar (November 12), Hebri (November 18), Siddapur (November 19) and at Amasebailu (November 25). These places in the two districts have been the centres of naxal activities in the recent past.H.N. Sathyanarayana Rao, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) told The Hindu the main aim of staging the drama in areas affected by naxal activities was to create awareness about the issue. Even the department had to present its side of the story before the people.

Mad colour- police !

Mad colour- police !
Aurangabad: It is nothing but poolish ! An image makeover is on in Bihar's Aurangabad district which has been a hotbed of Naxal violence.
The district town is being painted pink to boost its sagging morale and people here are hopeful that this new colour will lift people's spirit and bring down the crime rate.
“The colour pink might help in maintaining peace,” says a resident of Aurangabad.
“This is being done to beautify the city,” says another local.
This is a brainchild of the new Civil SDO of the town, Arvind Kumar Singh, who's just returned after a trip to Jaipur.
Inspired from the original pink city, he introduced this campaign with the slogan "Pink Aurangabad, Green Aurangabad; Clean Aurangabad, Disciplined Aurangabad".
"We want to make our city a pink city. It will help instill a positive attitude in people here,” says Singh.
Though people in the city were reluctant initially, they're now convinced that pink will counter red terror.
It's not clear how painting homes and offices pink will bring down the city's crime graph but people are certainly taking to this unique idea. It is nothi but polish !

Maoists blow up railway track in Bihar

October 30, 2006The engine and five coaches of a passenger train derailed on Monday morning as suspected CPI (Maoist) activists blew up about 100 metres of railway track near Chamua halt between Narkatiyaganj and Harinagar stations under Samastipur division of East Central Railway.No casualty or injury to any passenger was reported. Services on Narkatiyaganj-Gorakhpur rail route were suspended after the blast.Railway officials rushed to the site to supervise restoration works, railway sources said.Sonepur-Gorakhpur passenger train was passing through the Chamua halt when the ultras triggered a powerful bomb causing damage to railway tracks.The sabotage was caused to stop movement of trains during the 24-hour bandh in four states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chhattishgarh sponsored by proscribed CPI (Maoist) to protest arrests of four top 'commanders' of the outfit.The Maoist rebels also blew up a government building at Jhemiri village under Semra police station of West Champaran district on Sunday night.Official reports in Bettiah said that the building belonged to Champaran Forest division two.

Tech Madhu will surrender: Jana

VIJAYAWADA: Home Minister K Jana Reddy on Friday indicated that Naxal activist Tech Madhu and his wife Sridevi were planning to surrender to the police.The Naxal couple, involved in manufacturing and transporting of rocket launchers to Maoists, have approached the government through some mediators indicating their willingness to give up.“They have approached the government and we are talking through the mediators,” Jana Reddy, who briefly halted at Kaikaluru enroute West Godavari district, told reporters here on Friday.He said the Naxal couple could surrender in a couple of days. He said the media was trying to blow up a simple issue. “The government has been adopting a three-tier strategy to tackle the Naxal menace and making key Naxals surrender and join the mainstream is a regular process,” he added.The Home Minister, who participated in several programmes in Denduluru, Gopannapalem, Talla Gokavaram and Pedavegi in West Godavari district, further said the construction of 48 per cent of the police quarters have already been completed and the remaining quarters would be completed by the end of the year.Earlier, he was received at Kaikaluru by Eluru MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and Kaikaluru MLA Yerneni Raja Ramchander. He also went to the residence of Denduluru MLA Maganti Babu.

Tech Madhu’ not surrendered: DGP

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy confirmed that 'tech madhu' alias Srinivasa Reddy, the mastermind in the rocket launchers case has surrendered before Warnagal district police, Director-General of Police (DGP) Swaranjeet Sen on Friday contradicted him saying 'tech madhu had not surrendered before him.Talking to newsmen here, on the sidelines of a seminar on 'my vision for the police', organised on the occasion of police commemoration week celebrations here, Sen said “it is a hide and seek game”.“I asked madhu to surrender before me. But he did not do it. I don't know whether he surrendered before Warangal police”, the DGP said.

Anti-Naxal special desk set up in Home Ministry

New Delhi, Oct 26: To check Naxal activities in different parts of the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to set up a special Naxal Desk and constitute an Empowered Group of Ministers (e-GoM). The idea of setting up a Naxal Desk was put forth in August this year. The Desk will be headed by an Additional Secretary. Besides the Naxal Desk, there will be a mechanism for an inter-ministerial committee for carrying out a detailed review of the implementation of development schemes in the affected areas which will meet ahead of the quarterly meetings of the Coordination Centre on Naxalism. The Task Force meeting on Naxalites scheduled for Friday will discuss the steps to be taken to combat Naxal violence. Till August this year 115 security personnel and 401 civilians were killed by Naxals as compared to 94 security persons and 364 civilians killed last year. Chhattisgarh, the worst affected state registered a sharp rise in the initial eight months of this year. The Task Force on Naxalism was constituted in October 2004 under the aegis of the Special Secretary (Internal Security) to work out steps needed to curb the rise of Naxalism. The Task Force comprises the nodal officers of the nine Naxal-affected States Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and representatives of Intelligence Bureau, CRPF and Sashtra Seema Bal (SSB). According to sources the idea of having an e-GoM was put forth by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to closely monitor the spread of Naxalite movement in the country. Many Naxal-hit states have decided to set up Special Forces for countering Naxal violence in their respective states.

New twist to Orissa DIG killing, PSOs arrested

New twist to Orissa DIG killing, PSOs arrested
Bhubaneswar, Oct 24: In a completely new twist to the killing of DIG Jaswinder Singh in Orissa yesterday, a top official today said the policeman was a victim of "accidental firing" by one of his personal security officers. The two PSOs who were travelling with the DIG when the incident occurred, were questioned last night and had been taken into custody at Rayagada.

DIG not killed by naxals

Bhubaneswar: The DGP of Orissa, Amarananda Patnaik, told CNN-IBN that DIG Jaswinder Singh was not killed by naxals but was a victim of accidental firing at Rayagada in Orissa.
Singh was hit by a bullet fired from the gun of his Personal Security Officer (PSO), the DGP said before leaving for Rayagada on Tuesday morning.
"We had our doubts about the sequence of events. Both the PSOs were interrogated and it was found that one of the guns held by a PSO had gone off accidentally," he said.
Asked whether he was ruling out naxalite involvement in the incident as per the earlier theory, Patnaik replied "in absolute terms".
In fact, two PSOs, not one as was disclosed on Monday, were travelling with the DIG who was on his way from Sunabeda to Padmapur in Rayagada district where he was scheduled to meet the press in the afternoon to inform about some positive achievements of the police.
Singh had been stopped by groups of people at two places on the way for contribution for the Kali Puja festivities.
He cleared the road on both occasions and was stopped for the third time on the Guma Ghat, about 15 km from Rayagada.
He got down from his vehicle and apparently got into an argument with the crowd. There could have been a scuffle which led to the accidental firing by the PSO.
The incident had sent the administration into a tizzy on Monday, the DGP had not ruled out Maoist involvement in the killing while stating that the DIG should have taken adequate precautionary measures and should not have revealed his travel plans.
Asked about his comments on Monday, the DGP said, "He was a daring officer. But certain basic precautions should have been taken. But it was his discretion".
The DGP said the officer's body was being sent to his home town of Hoshiarpur in Punjab via Visakhapatnam as his anxious family members were waiting for the same.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin and a job for a family member following the death of the officer.
As the Gajapati-Koraput-Rayagada-Malkangiri belt was known to be a hot-bed of Maoist activities, it was earlier believed to be an act of CPI(Maoist) cadres, outlawed by the state government on June 9.

Director General of Police Amarananda Pattanayak, who left for Rayagada this morning, said here that investigations had revealed that Singh was a victim of "accidental firing". Singh was hit by a bullet fired from the gun of his PSO, the DGP said. Pattanayak said doubts had been expressed about the sequence of events. Both the PSOs were interrogated and it was found out one of the guns held by a PSO had gone off accidentally, he said. Asked whether he was ruling out Naxalite involvement in the incident as per the earlier theory, Pattanayak replied "absolutely". In fact, two PSOs, not one, were travelling with the DIG who was on his way from Sunabeda to Padmapur in Rayagada district where he was scheduled to meet the press in the afternoon to inform about some positive achievements of the police. Singh had been stopped by groups of people at two places who asked for contribution for the Kali Puja festivities. After clearing the road on both occasions he was stopped for the third time on the Guma Ghat, about 15 km from Rayagada. He got down from his vehicle and apparently got into an argument with the crowd. There could have been a scuffle which led to the accidental firing by the PSO. The incident had sent the administration into a shock yesterday while the DGP had not ruled out Maoist involvement in the killing while stating that the DIG should have taken adequate precautionary measures and should not have revealed his travel plans. The DGP said the officer`s body was being sent to his home town of Hoshiarpur in Punjab via Visakhapatnam as his anxious family members were waiting for the body. Bureau Report

Ministry sets up special Naxal desk

(New Delhi):Concerned over the latest trend of inter-state arms procurement by Naxalites and spurt in violence by the ultras, the Union Home Ministry has set up a special Naxal Desk headed by an Additional Secretary rank officer Vinay Kumar.The decision to set up the special desk was taken recently by the Centre, sources in the MHA said.They said that a meeting of the Task Force on Naxalites will be held on October 27. (PTI)

Udupi: Former Kaup MLA Salian's Son-in-Law Convicted in Silver-smuggling Case

Mangalore, Jan. 1: The chief judicial magistrate's court here has today sentenced nine persons convicted in a case of silver smuggling detected 12 years ago, to three years' jail term and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Those convicted include Kaup block Congress president Gangadhar Suvarna, who also happens to be the son-in-law of former Kaup MLA Vasant Salian. However, the alleged crime was committed before he married Salian's daughter, as part of a bachelor-life escapade. At that time, he is said to have been an opponent of Salian's, but with a compromise struck between them, he also became his son-in-law consequently.
The smuggled silver was landed on the western coast and was being transported in a lorry, while another vehicle managed to escape the Customs' net.
As the verdict was being pronounced the alleged are said to have sought anticipatory bail.
Kaup BCC chief removed
Bangalore Jan. 7. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has removed the Kaup Block Congress Committee (BCC) president in Udupi district, Gangadhara Suvarna, from the post on the grounds that he has been convicted in a criminal case by a court in Udupi. This has been stated in a press release from the KPCC general secretary and MLC, Prakash K. Rathod.

Naxal killed in encounter

Hyderabad : Kalwakurthy dalam commander Raju alias Kiran was killed, while three others escaped, in an exchange of fire with police near Lingasanipalle village in Kalwakurthy mandal of Mahabubnagar on Sunday night.
The police combing party encountered a group of Maoists in the forest area and when asked to surrender they started firing at the police party. In an exchange of fire Raju was killed District committee member Tirumala Balavantu is suspected to be among those who escaped. Police recovered a tapancha and two grenades from the site.
Meanwhile, CPI (Maoist) Kondabaridi area committee secretary K Kodandam alias Prakash alias Kiran was surrendered to Srikakulam SP Manish Kumar Sinha on deteriorating health grounds. He carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh.

CHIKAMAGALUR: NAXALS STRIKE FOREST OFFICE AT KUNDUR - MAKE AWAY WITH GUN

Chikamagalur: Naxals Strike Forest Office at Kundur - Make away with Gun
A group of 9 Naxalites struck at forest department office at Kundur near Moodigere here and ran away with a double barrel gun on Wednesday October 11 night.
The Naxalites surrounded the office in the midnight and made away with a double barrel gun after threatening forest guard Venkatesh. Before leaving the area they also stuck Naxal literature and posters on the walls of the local gram panchayat, primary and high schools, bus stand.
Venkatesh who sleeps in the office was woken up in the midnight by 4 masked men. As soon as he opened the door, they entered in, ransacked the entire office, broke open the cup boards and made away with the double barrel gun. While 4 of them entered the office, another 5 of them were standing outside and guarding. Most of them were talking Tulu, said Venkatesh.
Women naxal killed in encounter
Hyderabad : A women naxalite died and a Greyhounds constable was injured in an encounter in the forest under Jennaram police limits in Adilabad district on Saturday. A Greyhounds team combing the forest ran into 20 CPI (Maoist) naxalites holding a meeting. In an encounter that ensued, a women naxalite died while the rest escaped.The dead naxalite was identified as Kavita. Police recovered a 303 rifle and six kit bags. Kavita was wife of Adilabad district committee secretary Seshanna. Two naxalites arrested in Bihar
two naxalites arrested
Jehanabad (Bihar): Two members of the proscribed naxal outfit CPI (Maoist) wanted in several criminal cases were arrested today from Town police station area of Bihar's naxalite affected Jehanabad district, police sources said.
The sources said one Devendra Singh wanted in several case of dacoity, murder and loot was arrested from Shevnan village under Town police station this morning.
The police also arrested another naxalite Mohit Yadav from Guharipar village under same police station area. (Agencies)

Naxalites setting up support centres in urban areas

NEW DELHI: Naxalites are effecting 'structural changes' in their movement by creating the support structures in urban areas in what is a strategic attempt to adapt to the changed security scenario. The break from traditional Naxal structure has baffled security agencies, enough for the home ministry to ask states to follow the changed pattern in battling the 'red menace'. Largely rooted in rural pockets, Naxal outfits are fast moving to urban centres. CPI (Maoist), the key outfit operating in India, is estimated to have 13 state-level committees. The outfit's dominance of Maoist insurgency in the country is evident from MHA figures, which state that it accounts for 96% of the total incidents. The outfit is now reported to be setting up bases in cities to act as a supply-line and public support structure to the main body. Home ministry has expressed concern at the spurt in overground mass organisations of Naxalite in urban centres. This is part of what observers call 'structural change' in Naxalite movement. Conventionally, Naxal outfits preferred staying in rural areas amongst its constituents in tribal and poor. Besides converting the locals into their fold, the forests and backward pockets served as ideal battleground to take on security forces. The move to urban centres, MHA feels, is aimed at supplementing the rural base in several significant ways. Overground outfits, with an entrenched structure and membership, would serve as the ideal foil to generate mass support. Given the increased sensitivity to human rights violations and presence of courts, these outfits could be used to check the offensive of security agencies. Besides serving as a propaganda medium, the urban sister outfits could be the link between foot soldiers and logistics support. Medical treatment is a prime need for cadres fighting in inhospitable, unhygienic conditions. Arms and ammunition, however, are the key responsibilities of link outfits in urban centres. Ever under the eagle eyes of security personnel, overground cadres are deployed to network with arms suppliers, inter-state or otherwise. The elaborate arms network stitched by the Naxalites came to light when consignments from Chennai were intercepted by Andhra Pradesh police in the Naxal heartland of Telangana last month. It was found that Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh had outsourced production of crude rockets to industrial units in Tamil Nadu. That it was part of an elaborate plan was revealed by the fact that parts of these rockets were being manufactured in separate units, which helped keep it a secret from police.

Anti-naxal force formed in Bellary

BELLARY: To subdue and tackle the naxalite menace in Bellary district, the Police Department here, from Thursday, has initiated a well trained special force, equipped with special arms.Anti-naxal Force is a 30 member squad, divided into three teams, will take serious note of the naxal movement in the district.In an informal function at his office on Thursday, SP of Bellary Amrit Paul inaugurated the squad.A senior officer in the Department told this paper that the main function of this squad was to curb growth of naxalite forces and to create awareness against naxal activities among the people.

No dog squad in naxal prone Bellary

BELLARY: Home Minister M P Prakash’s home district Bellary, does not have a dog squad for past two months. And blissfully, it will remain same for next seven more months!!Being a naxalite prone district, this imperative squad must be in an alert stage round the clock. But because of the lack of forethought of concerned officials, now the capacious district Bellary looks at its neighbouring districts for a dog squad!Because of flourishing mining and industrial units, political and economic rivalry and also from its geographical specialties, the Iron City of India, Bellary, has been attracting naxalites and anti-social elements generally.Other than that, since past few years’ heinous crimes like robbery, dacoity and murders are rampant. Moreover, Bellary houses world famous Hampi, Tunga Bhadra Dam, Hampi University, multi thousand crores worth Bellary Thermal Power Station.But, Bellary cops are facing series of problems to trace culprits, becausethey do not have a full-fledged dog squad.

manglore back on track

In manglore now curfew relaxed
highway & city open to all people

Manglore communal violence

Mangalore Oct 7: Although Mangalore showed signs of normalcy late on Friday night after the curfew was imposed in certain parts of the districts including Mangalore rural police limits, Konaje and Ullal, the violence took an ugly turn early morning today. A certain person called Gaffoor was stabbed to death near Ane Gundi in Bejai following which curfew is declared in Mangalore city for the first time today after violence broke out 3 days ago. Gaffoor was stabbed on Friday night and succumbed to injuries today morning at A.J. Hospital.
Police vans are driving around the city of Mangalore announcing the imposing of curfew. It is also learnt that Karnataka Director General of Police BS Sial is visiting Mangalore shortly.
People are requested to remain indoors and cooperate with the district administration in maintaining peace and order in the district. Massive deployment of Patrol Officers and Striking forces has been made in all strategic places and strict vigil is kept.For the people of Mangalore it is unusual and alarming to hear the sound of sirens echoeing in the city. The police are having their hands full trying to restore a semblance of normalcy, first in the outskirts of the city and now within the city limits.
Earlier late on friday night Home minister M. P. Prakash had declared shoot at sight orders to control the situation.
Home minister issues shoot-at-sight order
Home minister M P Prakash, late on Friday night issued shootat-sight orders in the communal trouble-hit areas of Dakshina Kannada district, including Mangalore urban and rural police limits, Konaje and Ullal.
Disclosing this at a late night press conference in Bangalore after reviewing the situation with DG & IGP B S Sial, Home Minister M P Prakash said the district administration had been told to crack down on anti-social elements provoking communal violence, looting and arson. With several police battalions from Dakshina Kannada now deployed in Chikmagalur in the wake of Datta Mala abhiyan, anti-social elements and "outside forces" are trying to take advantage of the situation by spreading communal violence, he stated.
A son of a prominent politician in Ullal was behind the communal trouble in that area, Mr Prakash alleged, but desisted from naming the politician.
He lashed out at the Opposition parties which are trying to link the Datta Jayanthi row with communal violence.
Instead, the Opposition should play a constructive role by giving a call to people to maintain communal harmony, Mr Prakash suggested.
Minister blames vested interests
District in-charge minister B Nagaraj Shetty on Friday alleged that groups with vested interest were behind the violence which has erupted in the district. He said such disturbances would only hinder the progress of the district which is poised for exponential growth in all spheres.
Shetty said that bandhs would not provide solution to any problem but only allow miscreants and anti-social elements to take advantage of the situation. Speaking to reporters after assessing the overall situation in the district, he said except Ullal and adjoining areas, the situation in the rest of the city and the district as a whole was under control.
A group of rioters went on rampage at 3.15pm in Veeranagar (Kannur ward) and Faisal Nagar (Bajal ward). One Bakery in Veeranagar was totally destroyed and all the items were thrown on the road.
Three person who were grievously injured at Faisal Nagar have been admitted to Wenlock hospital. Out of the three injured, one person is said to be in very critical condition.
At Ullal and Kuttar, Surathkal tension was at an all time high. Within the city limits of Ullal and Konaje the situation reached a crisis point today and IGP Sathyanarayana Rao visited the spot and declared a curfew and a shoot at sight order. More than 10 members were injured in today’s incidents of stone pelting. An Auto and 2 two wheelers were set on fire. Later reports came in that shops were also set on fire by angry mobs.
In the Deralakatte area, several shops were set on fire and many more injured in group clashes near Ullal.
The schools will remain closed until October 11.

Most weapons with Naxals belong to cops
NEW DELHI: It's a case of the cops facing their own guns. As 'red extremists' turn a menace for security agencies with their firepower, 60% of their weapons are estimated to be stolen from policemen.Putting a number to Naxalite strength operating through the 'red corridor' up to Nepal and enumerating their increasingly improving firepower as also inter-state coordination, Union home ministry has sounded the states about the need for counter measures on a war-footing.MHA, in a rare estimate, has stated there are about 6,620 Naxalites across the country, with 4,800 regular weapons, of which 2,800 could be stolen from police. Virtually all these men and machines are controlled by the Maoists.But what is giving sleepless nights to the security agencies are the Naxals' possessing highly sophisticated equipment. The recent seizure of 800 rockets from Andhra Pradesh is only the tip of the iceberg.The state government has informed the Centre that the Naxals have highly-sophisticated VHF sets with scrambler facility to send encrypted messages. These sets have a sensitivity of .16 mv while that of police sets is .30 mv. Besides, the Naxals are also reported to be using satellite phones.They are also using improvised explosives in the form of crude rockets, pressure and wireless activated mines. The trail of crude rockets has taken the cops to industrial units in Tamil Nadu, jolting the Centre to new challenges of R&D among Naxalites.Naxals are thriving on looted weapons is reflected in Uttar Pradesh, which is among less affected states, and Orissa, which has seen a sharp growth in red extremism in the last few years.In UP, Naxalites started by raiding PAC and police posts. Though limited to three districts Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli the state has reported that the Naxals form small groups with three AK-47s, 16 SLRs, three stenguns besides rifles of different bores, weapons used by PAC or snatched from cops on patrol.Orissa where consolidation of Naxals has been sharp as evidenced by sensational jailbreaks like in Udaigiri is said to have 700 hardcore Naxals operating with AK-47s and other rifles.The Centre now has an additional worry: that arms surrender in Nepal could see Maoists' weapons being stashed away or smuggled into Indian districts from where they could find their way through the 'red corridor'.Within the country, MHA has inputs of a subtle "structural changes" in Naxal operations.

`Eviction threat aiding naxal movement'

UDUPI: K. Jayaprakash Hegde, MLA, said on Sunday that the threat to evict people from forest land and the indifferent attitude of the Forest Department are helping the growth of naxalism in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikamagalur and Shimoga districts.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Hegde said though the Government has been proclaiming that it will not evict people from forest land, officials of the Forest Department are acting in a contradictory manner.
He said those who have built houses and are cultivating forest land are against leaving it. Lack of clear demarcation of forest and revenue land is the reason for the problem. People should not be made to suffer for the mistakes of government departments. He said the Government should find out the extent of forest land acquired by the people and a similar area could be taken from the Revenue Department for the development of forest. Though the Government announced a Rs. 60-crore package for the development of four districts after the police encounter with naxalites at Eedu in Udupi district one-and-a-half-year ago, it has not released funds.
It is necessary to sort out the differences between the officials of the Revenue and Forest departments, Mr. Hedge said.