Last active Maoist leader Misir Besra, carrying ₹1cr bounty, arrested
What's the story
Misir Besra, the last active member of the Central Committee and Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), was arrested in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Tuesday. The arrest was made by a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police. Besra was caught in Tundi-Mandiya forest area near Dhanbad-Giridih border while allegedly trying to escape from a security operation.
Operation details
Besra was caught along with 2 associates
Besra carried a reward of over ₹1 crore on information leading to his arrest. He was caught along with two associates, Gaurav Hasda and Mochu.
With Besra's arrest, no active Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) is left at large, officials said.
The outfit once had over 40 Central Committee members but security forces have arrested or neutralized all of them over the years.
District review
Besra's arrest may change West Singhbhum's status
Authorities said Besra was trapped in the jungle area on the foothills of Parasnath temple around 9:00pm.
"He has been caught alive after more than two decades," an official requesting anonymity told HT.
Officials said his continued presence in Saranda forests was one reason why West Singhbhum district remained a "district of concern" for Left-Wing Extremism.
Most other districts have been removed from this list after successful operations against Maoist leadership.
Campaign progress
Major victory for Jharkhand's anti-Naxal campaign
With Besra's arrest, officials indicated that West Singhbhum's status may be reviewed by the Union home ministry.
The arrest of Besra and his associates is a major victory for Jharkhand's anti-Naxal campaign.
A day earlier, 16 Maoists surrendered to Jharkhand Police, including six rebels with a combined bounty of ₹39 lakh.
Among them was Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, who had a reward of ₹15 lakh and was wanted in 128 criminal cases.
Weapon surrender
Police data on anti-Maoist campaign in Jharkhand
The surrendered Maoists included five women cadres and handed over six INSAS rifles, two AK-47 rifles, 38 magazines, and 1,562 rounds of ammunition to the police.
According to police data, Jharkhand's anti-Maoist campaign has gained momentum this year with several arrests and encounters.
So far in 2026, security forces have arrested 93 Maoists, secured the surrender of 45 cadres, and killed 22 extremists in encounters.