Jharkhand is set to witness its largest-ever mass surrender of Maoists, with 27 cadres linked to CPI (Maoist) leader Misir Besra surrendering as security forces intensify operations to track the fugitive leader. (Representative image)
A total of 27 Maoists allegedly linked to the banned party’s last active Politburo member Misir Besra, are set to surrender before the Jharkhand Police on Thursday in what is expected to be the biggest such mass surrender in the state’s history, police said, adding that operations to trace Besra are still underway.
According to the Jharkhand Police, the surrender is being carried out under Operation “Navjeevan”, launched as part of the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy for Maoist cadres.
IG (Operations) Narendra Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that more than 25 maoists connected to Besra will surrender today. “However, Besra is not part of this surrender. Efforts to trace him are still underway,” he said.
Police said the surrendered cadres include top commanders and members associated with the teams of Misir Besra, alias Sagar Ji and Asim Mandal, who is active in the Kolhan and Saranda regions. Among those surrendering on Thursday are six Special Zonal Committee Members (SZCM), six Area Committee Members (ACM), and 13 squad members of the banned CPI (Maoist). Two cadres of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a Maoist group active in Gumla district, are also surrendering.
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Police said the cadres surrendered with 17 weapons and nearly 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Officials claimed that the Maoists had extensive knowledge of the remote forest and hilly terrain of Kolhan and Saranda and had been active in West Singhbhum and adjoining districts.
The Jharkhand Police said anti-Maoist operations are being jointly conducted by the state police, the CRPF’s CoBRA battalions, and the Jharkhand Jaguar forces. According to police, continuous operations, internal exploitation within Maoist organisations and increasing security pressure have pushed several cadres to return to the mainstream.
Police data states that in 2026 so far, 44 Maoists have been arrested, 29 have surrendered, and 22 have been killed in encounters across Jharkhand.
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Officials also said that 21 new Advanced Camp Locations (ACLs) and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) have been established in the Saranda region to strengthen security presence in Maoist-affected areas.
Police appealed to the remaining Maoist cadres to give up violence and avail benefits under the Jharkhand government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
