More than 10 days after 27 Maoists allegedly linked to elusive insurgent leader Misir Besra surrendered before the Jharkhand Police, a 4,000-strong contingent of security personnel has reportedly been deployed in the Saranda forest to intensify the hunt for the last remaining central committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist).
On May 30, CRPF Director General GP Singh chaired a key operational meeting at the office of the Chaibasa Superintendent of Police, where a detailed strategy was discussed to eliminate what officials described as the last remnants of Naxalism in the region, sources said.
During the meeting, Singh is learnt to have directed field commanders to work in close coordination with the civil administration and state police to eradicate Maoist influence, particularly in the Kolhan and Saranda regions of Jharkhand.
Sources said the strategy to locate and apprehend Besra also figured prominently in the discussions. Following the surrender of 27 Maoists on May 21, Besra and several close associates are believed to have retreated deeper into the Saranda forest
Intelligence inputs suggest that he may be attempting to move towards West Bengal.
Among those who surrendered were several commanders and cadres linked to Besra’s network, including six special zonal committee members, six area committee members, 13 squad members of the banned CPI (Maoist) and two cadres of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad, a Maoist outfit active in Gumla district.
Sources further indicated that Besra and his associate Asim Mondal may have already left Saranda in search of safer hideouts.
Against this backdrop, security forces have stepped up combing operations in the forested region to trace the 66-year-old Maoist leader.
Carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore, Besra is the last top-ranking CPI (Maoist) central committee member still at large. Other politburo members have either surrendered or been killed in encounters across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh since the Centre intensified its anti-Maoist offensive in December 2024.
