Security forces have achieved a major breakthrough in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand with the reported arrest of top CPI (Maoist) leader Misir Besra, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore. According to sources, Besra was apprehended in Dhanbad along with notorious Maoist operative Mochu and several other associates during a special operation based on intelligence inputs.
The arrested Maoists are currently being interrogated at an undisclosed location by security agencies. While there has been no official confirmation from the police or security establishment, sources indicated that the operation was carried out following specific intelligence about the movement of the Maoist leaders in the Giridih-Dhanbad border region.
The arrests come after sustained security operations in the dense forest areas of Kolhan, particularly in the Saranda region, which have significantly weakened the Maoist network.
Intelligence agencies had reportedly tracked Besra and his associates after receiving information that they had shifted towards the Giridih-Dhanbad border in an attempt to evade security forces.
Besra, a Politburo member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), has long been regarded as one of the organisation's most influential and wanted leaders. He has been linked to several major Maoist attacks across Jharkhand, Odisha and other states, including ambushes on security personnel, improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, arms looting and extortion activities.
The National Investigation Agency and state police had declared a reward of Rs 1 crore on his arrest, making him one of the country's most wanted Maoist leaders.
Security agencies had been tracking Besra for several years. He had reportedly been operating from the Saranda forests in the Kolhan region along with his close associates, using the dense terrain as a stronghold for Maoist activities.
In recent months, intensified anti-Maoist operations, combined with a series of surrenders by senior cadres, have dealt a severe blow to the banned outfit's organisational structure.
Notably, just a day before Besra's reported arrest, 16 Maoists surrendered before the Jharkhand Police, signalling growing pressure on the insurgent group. Security officials have attributed the rising number of surrenders to sustained operations and enhanced development initiatives in former Maoist strongholds.
The arrest of Misir Besra is being viewed by security circles as one of the most significant successes in the state's campaign against Left Wing Extremism in recent years. Authorities are expected to make an official announcement after the completion of preliminary interrogation and legal formalities.
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