Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs Rajya Sabha

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.387 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7TH AUGUST, 2013/SRAVANA 16, 1935 (SAKA)

FAILURE OF INTELLIGENCE SECURITY AGENCIES LEADING TO NAXALITE ATTACKS

387. SHRIMATI KUSUM RAI: SHRI ARVIND KUMAR SINGH: SHRI PRABHAT JHA : SHRI ALOK TIWARI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state :

(a) the State-wise details of naxalite attacks in the country since May to July, 2013, so far;

(b) the details of person died/injured in naxal attacks in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and Dumka in Jharkhand;

(c ) whether intelligence agencies had informed about the naxal attacks in Jagadalpur and Dumka;

(d) if so, the details thereof and reasons of failure of security agencies; and

(e) if not, the reasons for the failure of intelligence agencies?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)

(a): The State-wise data of LWE violence from May to July, 2013 are given in the table below:

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R.S.U.S.Q.NO. 387 FOR 07.08.2013

State Incidents Deaths Andhra Pradesh 13 2 Bihar 39 15 Chhattisgarh 105 47 Jharkhand 85 37 Karnataka 2 0 Maharashtra 17 8 Odisha 23 8 West Bengal 1 0 Total 285 117

The State-wise details of major naxal attacks in the country during the period May to July, 2013 are annexed.

(b): 27 persons including prominent Congress leaders and workers were killed and 37 others were injured in the incident of naxal attack in Bastar, Chhattisgarh on 25.05.2013. 06 policemen (including the Superintendent of Police) were killed and 03 others were injured in the incident of naxal attack in Dumka, Jharkhand on 02.07.2013.

(c) to (e): An analysis of recent naxal attacks disclose that the attacks could succeed mainly due to failure of adherence to basic policing tactics and practices by some of the State police forces. In the LWE theatre, there are certain standard practices by the naxals, which can be easily anticipated and counter measures put in place by the security forces. For example, the CPI(Maoist) always target and kill mainstream political personalities whenever they get an opportunity. Similarly, they will kill Security Forces and loot their weapons as part of their professed guerilla tactic. The security forces need to be alert in naxal affected areas even when elaborate intelligence inputs are not available. The conditioning of the Security Forces should be such that counter-measures against such attacks should be built into normal policing functions. However, as evident in some of the recent attacks, there was a failure to anticipate events and put counter-measures in place. In the Jiram Ghati incident of 25.05.2013 in which Congress leaders and workers as well as a large number of civilians were killed by the CPI(Maoist), the Chhattisgarh government has instituted a judicial inquiry to enquire into the security lapses leading to the attack.

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Details of Major Naxal Attacks from May to July 2013

Bihar

1. The CPI(Maoist) attacked Patna-bound Dhanbad-Patna Inter-City Express at Kunder near Bhalui Railway Station (PS Chanan, district Lakhisarai), Bihar on 13.06.2013, killing 03 persons and injuring 03 others.

2. In a planned attack on the base camp of a private road construction company, the CPI(Maoist) killed 03 policemen, 02 private security guards and a civilian, besides causing injuries to 03 SF personnel and another civilian on the outskirts of Goh town in Aurangabad district, Bihar on 17.07.2013. The Maoists also managed to loot 30 sophisticated weapons including INSAS rifles-15, SLRs-12, AKs-03 in addition to 2500 rounds of ammunition.

Chhattisgarh

1. A large group of armed CPI(Maoist) cadres ambushed a cavalcade carrying Congress leaders and workers in Jiram Ghati area of PS Darbha, Bastar district, Chhattisgarh on 25.05.2013 in which 27 persons including prominent Congress leaders and workers were killed and 37 others were injured. The prominent leaders who lost their lives in the attack include Shri Nand Kumar Patel (PCC Chief of the State), Shri Dinesh Patel (son of Shri Nand Kumar Patel), Shri Mahendra Karma (ex-MLA of Congress) and Shri Udai Mudaliar (ex-MLA of Congress) and Shri V.C. Shukla (ex-Union Minister) who succumbed to his injuries on 11.06.2013.

Jharkhand

1. The CPI (Maoist) killed 06 policemen, including the Superintendent of Police, Pakur, Shri Amarjeet Balihar at Jamni, PS Kaithikund, district Dumka, Jharkhand on 02.07.2013 and looted 06 service weapons (AK rifles- 2, INSAS- 4). 03 others were also injured in the Maoist attack.

****** R.S.U.S.Q.No. 387 FOR 7.8.2013 Page 1 / 1 of Annexure

Details of Major Naxal Attacks from May to July 2013

Bihar

Chhattisgarh

Jharkhand

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