Chaibasa, Jan 23 (PTI) One more body of a Maoist was found in a forest in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, taking the toll of the red rebels in a gun-battle with the security forces to 17 in two days, police said on Friday.
Search operation is still on in the Saranda forest where a total of 16 rebels, including Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 2.35 crore on his head, were killed on Thursday.
Five women were among those killed in the operation by the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, which specialises in jungle warfare, and the state police.
Around 1,500 security personnel are engaged in the fighting as the Centre’s deadline of March 31 for ending Left-Wing Extremism in the country approaches.
“We have so far recovered a total of 17 bodies while the search operation by the security forces is on in the area… We are holding that area,” IGP (Operations) Michael Raj S told PTI.
Raj, who is also the state police spokesperson, said it is one of the biggest anti-Naxal operations in the state.
The operation started on Tuesday, a day after CRPF DG Gyanendra Pratap Singh met senior officers in Chaibasa, the district headquarters, to chalk out a strategy following a tip-off about the presence of Anal and his squad in the Saranda forest.
However, the gunfight began on Thursday morning, after the two sides encountered each other, officials said.
Security forces have been on the hunt for Anal, a central committee member of the proscribed armed group who had been active since 1987, for decades.
He was associated with the attack on a CISF camp in Bokaro on March 3, 2006, in which five personnel were killed and two others injured. He was also involved in the killing of five security personnel at Kukru Haat in Seraikela-Kharswan district in June 2019, and the looting of 5 tonne explosives, meant for mining, in Odisha in May, 2025.
While Jharkhand had put a bounty of Rs 1 crore on Anal’s head, Odisha had announced Rs 1.2 crore and the anti-terror agency NIA Rs 15 lakh, police said.
Another top Maoist killed in the encounter was Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) member Anmol alias Sushant, who was wanted in 149 cases and carried a cumulative reward of Rs 90 lakh, officials said.
Other Maoists killed in the operation included regional committee member Amit Munda, carrying a bounty of Rs 62 lakh and wanted in 96 cases, sub-zonal committee members Pintu Lohar, who was wanted in 47 cases and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, and Laljeet alias Lalu, carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh.
Area committee members Rajesh Munda, Bulbul Alda, Babita and Purnima were also neutralised, officials said.
Kolhan and Saranda are considered the last strongholds of Maoists in Jharkhand.
More than 11,000 Maoists have been arrested, around 250 killed and over 350 surrendered before security forces in the state till last year, officials said. PTI NAM SAN SOM NN
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