Fifteen Maoists, including top leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Thursday, police said.
The gunfight took place in the Saranda forest area under Kiriburu police station limits, where a major anti-Maoist operation has been underway since Tuesday.
According to police, the exchange of fire began around 6 am on Thursday and was still continuing at the time of reporting.
A statement from the police headquarters said the bodies of 15 Maoists had been recovered along with a large cache of arms and ammunition. Around 1,500 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force’s CoBRA unit are involved in the operation.
Inspector General of Police for Operations Michael Raj S said the operation was launched after a tip-off about the presence of Anal Da and his squad in the Saranda forest. Anal Da, a resident of Giridih district’s Pirtand area, had been active in the Maoist movement since 1987 and was being tracked by security forces for several years.
CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh visited Chaibasa, the district headquarters of West Singhbhum, earlier this week.
Kolhan and Saranda are considered the last major Maoist strongholds in Jharkhand, with security forces having significantly reduced their presence in other regions of the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said the Centre aims to eradicate Maoism from the country by March 31, 2026.