Indian Police Hunt for Maoists Who Killed 17 Police
Source: Bloomberg By Bibhudatta Pradhan Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Indian police combed forests for Maoist rebels who killed 17 security personnel and beheaded an informer in the western state of Maharashtra, as top officials consider a stepped up offensive against the guerrillas. Authorities have deployed “additional security forces for a large scale operation” against the rebels blamed for yesterday’s attack, S. Jaya Kumar, superintendent of police for the state’s Gadchiroli district, said by phone. Nearly 200 insurgents opened fire on a 40-strong police team, triggering a four-hour gun battle, Kumar said. The officers had traveled to the remote border with Chhattisgarh state for a routine exercise. Yesterday’s violence came five days before elections to the state assembly in Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital of Mumbai, and a day after Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said there will be no talks with the Maoists until they lay down their guns. Prime Minister Manmohan Sin