Jharkhand’s prolonged struggle against Maoist extremism has come at a steep cost. Over the past 25 years, 555 security personnel —147 from central forces and 408 from state units — have lost their lives. Civilian fatalities have been even more alarming, reaching 1,925, with 2007 proving the deadliest year at 175 civilian deaths.
Despite these grim statistics, officials say the state is now approaching the closing stage of its anti-Maoist campaign. Since Jharkhand’s formation, 999 Maoists have been killed, including 235 gunned down in 1,343 firefights with security forces. The remainder died in internal disputes or mob violence.
Encounter activity peaked in 2009, while 2008 recorded the highest number of Maoists killed by forces— 46 deaths in 102 gunfights.
Since 2000, Jharkhand has reported about 6,300 Maoist-linked incidents, with 2009 again the worst year with 512 cases. Maoist groups launched 102 targeted assaults on the police between 2001 and 2025, with significant attacks reported in 2001, 2003 and 2006.
In terms of surrenders, 314 Maoists — including senior leaders with bounties as high as ₹25 lakh — have laid down their arms, and 10,769 cadres have been arrested. Notably, no Maoist death was recorded in the first decade after the state came into existence.
In the early 2000s, Maoists inflicted massive damage on public infrastructure. Railway assets were attacked 180 times between 2001 and 2005, while 190 government buildings and more than 300 mobile towers were demolished. Such incidents have seen a steady decline since 2012.
Currently, Maoist activity has shrunk mainly to the Saranda forests, where remnants of the organisation have planted thousands of IEDs. A large-scale joint offensive was initiated in November 2022 in Kolhan and Saranda to hunt down top CPI(Maoist) figures, including Misir Besra, a senior leader with a bounty of ₹1 crore.
Official figures show that 14 Maoists were neutralised in 2020, six in 2021, 11 in 2022, nine in 2023 and nine in 2024. Around 20 security personnel were martyred during these five years.
The ongoing year, 2025, has been notably impactful, with 32 Maoists killed so far. Over the past four years, security forces have reclaimed several former Maoist strongholds, including Budha Pahar, Lugu Pahar, Parasnath Hills and Bulbul.
Reflecting the improved situation, the Home Ministry now lists only Chaibasa as severely affected by Naxalism, while Latehar, Gumla and Lohardaga fall under the mildly or partially affected categories.
Districts covered under the Security-Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme have dropped dramatically—from 22 in 2016 to just 4 by 2025.
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