Misir Besra, India's last active Maoist leader with Rs 1 crore bounty, arrested

The arrest of Rs 1 crore bounty CPI (Maoist) politburo member Misir Besra, along with four associates and the surrender of 16 other Maoists mark a major boost to Jharkhand's anti-Naxal campaign.

In Short

• Besra was last active politburo member with Rs 1 crore bounty
• Besra evaded arrest for nearly 20 years, facing 154 cases
• 16 Maoists surrender, handing over weapons to Jharkhand police

Misir Besra, a top commander and last active politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore, was arrested along with four of his associates in Jharkhand, in one of the biggest breakthroughs for security forces in anti-Maoist operations in recent years.

Besra, one of India's most wanted Maoist leaders and a key figure in Left-Wing Extremism, had played a central role in coordinating the banned outfit's activities across the Red Corridor in eastern India. He was wanted in numerous cases involving attacks on security personnel, extortion, arms movement, and insurgency-related violence.

Police said Besra, a resident of Giridih district, was arrested in Dhanbad district during an operation jointly carried out by the Jharkhand Police with support from central security agencies following sustained intelligence inputs.

Authorities have not yet officially disclosed the identities of the four other Maoists arrested during the operation or the exact circumstances leading to their capture. A detailed statement is expected after the preliminary investigation.

ELUSIVE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES

Besra had remained one of the most elusive Maoist leaders despite an extensive manhunt spanning nearly two decades. A senior CPI (Maoist) politburo member, he had managed to evade security forces after escaping from custody in 2009 following his arrest in 2007.

While several other top Maoist leaders either surrendered or were killed in encounters over the years, Besra continued to operate underground. Security agencies had intensified operations in Jharkhand's forests and had repeatedly appealed to his family to persuade him to surrender.

According to reports, Besra was facing 154 criminal cases across multiple states and had allegedly masterminded several major Maoist attacks over the years. He was wanted in cases registered in Jharkhand, Odisha, and other Maoist-affected states.

Following his arrest, Besra and the other detained Maoists are being interrogated by security agencies.

Investigators expect the questioning to provide critical intelligence on the Maoist network, including the identities of active cadres, the organisational structure, arms procurement and supply routes, logistical support systems, funding channels, and details of planned operations.

Officials believe the interrogation could significantly aid ongoing anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand and neighbouring states by exposing the remaining operational infrastructure of the banned outfit.

ANOTHER MAJOR SUCCESS AS 16 MAOISTS SURRENDER

Earlier on Tuesday, in another significant development, 16 Maoists surrendered before the Jharkhand Police, including six rebels carrying a combined bounty of 39 lakh.

Among those who laid down arms was Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, a regional committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), who carried a reward of Rs 15 lakh and was wanted in 128 criminal cases.

Police said Santosh was accused in several major incidents, including an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on March 1 in the forest area falling under the Manoharpur, Chotanagar, and Jhariakela police station limits, in which a CoBRA battalion jawan was injured.

The group of surrendered Maoists included five women cadres. Officials said a zonal committee member, two sub-zonal committee members, and two area committee members were also among those who surrendered.

Those who laid down arms included proscribed CPI (Maoist) zonal committee member Chandan Lohra, wanted in 78 cases and carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh; sub-zonal committee members Anil Turi alias Ujjwal and Sukhlal Birjiyan alias Akela, both carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each; and area committee members Sudesh Honhaga alias Sonaram Honhaga and Risiv, each carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh. Zonal committee member Santosh Manjhi alias Jagabandhu also surrendered.

The surrendered cadres 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 gathered significant momentum this year. So far in 2026, security forces have arrested 93 Maoists, secured the surrender of 45 cadres, and killed 22 extremists in encounters.

- Ends