Ranchi: A total of 27 Maoists — 25 belonging to the banned CPI (Maoist) and two from the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) — surrendered before the police on Thursday under ‘Operation Navjeevan’ in the presence of DGP Tadasha Mishra.
All the surrendered ultras were primarily active in the Saranda region of West Singhbhum and were associated with the squad led by politburo member Misir Besra, currently among the country’s most wanted Maoist leaders. Collectively, the surrendered Maoists carried rewards worth Rs 33 lakh.
Chief Minister’s Reaction
Reacting to the development, chief minister Hemant Soren said, “Due to the clear vision of development of our govt, more people are joining the mainstream. This is a govt being run from the villages, not from the Ranchi headquarters.”
Police described the surrender as a major step towards making Jharkhand Naxal-free in the near future.
Background of Operation
Saranda in West Singhbhum remains one of the last Maoist strongholds in the state. Since November last year, state police and paramilitary forces have been conducting continuous operations in the region to eliminate insurgents or encourage them to surrender under the state govt’s rehabilitation policy. A formal ceremony was held at the state police headquarters, where the DGP and senior police officials welcomed the surrendered cadres with bouquets.
Details of Surrendered Cadres
Among those who surrendered were six sub-zonal commanders, six area commanders, and 13 cadres. The two JJMP members included one sub-zonal commander and one area commander.
Weapons and Items Recovered
Security forces also recovered 17 weapons, including one light machine gun, nine self-loading rifles, five INSAS rifles, one bolt-action rifle, and one pistol. In addition, 2,987 cartridges, 27 magazines, and eight walkie-talkies were surrendered.
Involvement in Major Incidents
Police said several of the surrendered Maoists were involved in at least 15 major incidents, including firing, murder, loot, and improvised explosive device (IED) blasts in West Singhbhum district. These included the killing of two bodyguards of former MLA Gurucharan Nayak in January 2022 and the death of two Jharkhand Jaguar personnel during an encounter in August 2023.
DGP’s Assurance
Addressing the gathering, the DGP said the state govt would ensure proper rehabilitation of the surrendered extremists by meeting their basic needs in a planned manner. “I congratulate the Jharkhand Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Jharkhand Jaguar, and CoBRA for this success,” she said.
CRPF IG’s Remarks
CRPF IG Saket Kumar Singh said joint security forces have been carrying out sustained anti-Naxal operations across Saranda since November last year and have achieved significant success. “The forces have maintained constant pressure on politburo member Misir Besra and his squad. At times, we too suffered losses, but our personnel did not back down. The mission remains incomplete as Besra is yet to be captured. However, today’s surrender has virtually isolated the remaining Maoists, including Besra and another wanted extremist, Asim Mandal, who are now left with skeletal support,” Singh said. “They too should return to the social mainstream, as violence has no place in society,” he added.
Singh further said sustained pressure from Jharkhand Police had also forced several Maoists to flee and surrender in states such as Telangana and West Bengal.
Statistics and Measures
Officials said that in 2026 so far, 44 Maoists have been arrested, 29 have surrendered, and 22 have been killed in encounters. “To curb Maoist activity in Chaibasa and strengthen the sense of security among residents, 21 new advance camp locations and forward operating base security camps have been established. This has helped isolate rebel groups,” Singh said.
IG Operations’ Statement
Inspector General (Operations) Narendra Singh said Jharkhand’s surrender policy — which includes monetary assistance, training, and educational support for children — is among the best in the country. “The extremists now have only two options — surrender or face elimination,” he said.
About the Author: ASRP Mukesh holds over 15 years of journalistic experience. He covers government, politics, human interest stories from Jharkhand.
