Chaibasa, Jan 24 (PTI) Jharkhand DGP Tadasha Mishra on Saturday urged Maoists to shun the path of violence and join the state’s development initiatives, asserting that security forces have intensified efforts to eradicate Naxalism by March.
Mishra visited Chaibasa in West Singhbhum district following security forces’ major success in neutralizing 17 Maoists, including Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 2.35 crore on his head, in a gun battle in Saranda forest on Thursday morning.
“This is the result of better assessment, coordination, planning and execution. This is historic,” Mishra said, lauding the efforts of security forces at a press conference here.
Five women were among those killed in the joint operation by the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, which specialises in jungle warfare, and the state police.
Around 1,500 security personnel were engaged in the operation.
“I urge the Maoists to shun the path of violence and join the development mission. Freeing Saranda from Naxalism is my priority. We are working on a target to eradicate left-wing extremism from the state by March,” Mishra said.
She said the chief minister was keen on expediting development work in areas that are being freed from Naxal influence.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition including four AK-47, four INSUS rifle and three SLR recovered during the search operations, which started on Thursday morning and concluded on Saturday, a senior police official said.
IG CRPF Saket Kumar Singh, who was also at the press conference, said, “In Jharkhand, there are around 65 Maoists. After the encounter, fewer than 50 are left. The battle against Maoists is in its final round in the state. We also held a meeting today to discuss the strategy to end the battle against the Maoists at the earliest.” He said only one major Maoist central committee member, Misir Besra, is now left in the state, while three central committee members have been neutralised, including two last year and Anal Da in Thursday’s encounter.
Anal Da 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.
Kolhan, mainly Saranda, is considered the last strongholds of Maoists in Jharkhand.
Security forces have effectively curtailed their activities in Buda Pahad, Chatra, Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga, Ranchi, and Parasnath, officials said.
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 COR SAN SAN MNB
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