Maoists kill six security men in Bihar gunfight

At least six security personnel were killed by Maoists in a gunfight in a forested area in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district, police said Monday.Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) P.K. Thakur said six Bihar Military Police personnel were killed in the gun battle late Sunday with over 100 rebels in the forests of Ghoghraghat Kanimoh in Lakhisarai, some 150 km from here.The gunfight lasted for hours and the guerrillas looted 30 rifles from the security personnel, police said.Those killed include Kavaiyah outpost officer incharge Bhulan Yadav. Seven seriously injured personnel were admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital.“More than 150 armed Maoists attacked search teams of the Bihar police that were combing the area after intelligence reports of Maoists’ presence in the forest,” a police official said.More than 12 hours after the gunfight, the bodies of the slain policemen were yet to be removed but police have launched combing operations Monday morning in Lakhisarai and adjoining areas, an official said.Thakur told that additional security forces, including a special cobra battalion and the Central Reserve POlice Force (CRPF) have been rushed to Lakhisarai for the combing operations.
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Maoists ambush security patrol in Chhattisgarh, kill five

Five security personnel were killed as over 100 Maoists ambushed a patrol in Chhattisgarh’s restive Bastar region Sunday, leading to a gunfight, police said.

“Maoists ambushed a police patrolling party drawn from the Border Security Force (BSF), district force (DF) and special police officers (SPOs) in a thickly-forested area,” Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) T.J. Longkumer said over phone from Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar region.He said the gun battle took place in Bhuski village in Kanker district, 250 km from capital Raipur, when Maoists ambushed the troopers. “It was a major ambush but our jawans fought bravely and fiercely…Maoists were in large numbers and estimated to be over 100,” Longkumer said.Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan said that those killed were three BSF men, including a head constable and two constables, one belonging to the DF and an SPO.He added that a chopper was sent to the attack site for rescue operations and evacuating an injured trooper. Police claimed that some Maoists were also killed in the gunfight but none of their bodies were recovered.The attack took place just a few hours before state Forest Minister Vikram Usendi was scheduled to visit the area. The minister, who belongs to Kanker district, called off his trip after the attack.All the five dead bodies were brought to Raipur in the evening. The bodies will be sent to their next of kin after Monday after the autopsies.Condemning the incident, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said: “The government should not hold peace talks with Maoists until they abjure violence.”In a separate incident in Bijapur district, police and Maoists fought a brief gun battle Sunday in which two senior Maoist cadres were apprehended by a joint team of DF and SPOs in a hilly area, some 450 km south of here.Bijapur Superintendent of Police R.N Das said that police recovered explosives and Maoist documents from the ultras who were estimated to number 30-35.Chhattisgarh has been the epicentre of Maoist violence in recent years. The Bastar region, spread across an about 40,000 sq km area and comprising Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kanker districts, is considered the nerve centre of Maoist militants in India.Officials at the police headquarters here said that the state has witnessed 1,948 Maoist attacks in the past three years. A total of 418 civilians and 435 policemen, including 75 SPOs, have been killed in Maoist violence.
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Sec 144 imposed in Chirala over YSR statue installation

Ongole, Aug 30: Police on Monday imposed section 144 in Chirala Town in Prakasam district following the dispute over the installation of a statue of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy on government land.According to sources, police have arrested 26 supporters of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday when they tried to install the statue on a government land in Chirala town.Chirala police also arrested one Ravi Kumar alias Jinda, a rowdy-sheeter for attempting suicide over the issue.The arrests were made as they violated the prohibitory orders in force, police said.Trouble had started in this town soon after supporters of Mr Jaganmohan Reddy put up a platform in the land belonging to the roads and Buildings Department, ahead of the 'Odarpu yatra' slated to be held in Prakasam district from September 3.The police deployed additional forces in the trouble spot within the Two Town police station limits in Chirala town to prevent untoward incidents.Condemning the police action, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party demanded that the government remove all hurdles in installation of statues of the former chief minister at the land belonging to the Roads and Buildings Department.TDP Chirala incharge J Srinivasa Rao alleged that vested elements have hatched a conspiracy to obstruct the installation of YSR statue.
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Rosaiah inaugurates Sai Baba information centre

Hyderabad, Aug 30: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Monday inaugurated the Shirdi Sai Baba Information Centre at YMCA complex on Sardar Patel Road in Secunderabad.Talking to media persons, the Chief Minister said that the information centre would be helpful for those devotees who visit Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Maharashtra frequently. The Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, which manages the Shirdi Sai Baba temple, has launched the Information Centre to help answer queries by devotees.The Secunderabad-based Radhaswami Foundation has provided an area of 3,200 sq ft for the centre, which will have the Sansthan's publications including the holy book Sri Sai Satcharitra, Aarti's and Bhajan CDs etc.The Information Centre will provide all information related to Shirdi and Sai Baba's life to the devotees. Presiding over the function, Sansthan's chairman Jayant Sasane stated that the 60-70 percent of Andhra devotees visit Sai Baba temple per year. He said the information centre would provide online services to devotees in future.
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