Mrituanjay Kumar
Ranchi
In a major breakthrough for anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand, 16 active members of the banned CPI (Maoist), including several senior commanders, surrendered before the Jharkhand Police on Tuesday under Operation Navjeevan-II, handing over a cache of sophisticated weapons and ammunition. Officials described the development as one of the biggest setbacks to the Maoist organisation after the mass surrender of 27 senior cadres in May this year.
The surrender took place at the Jharkhand Police Headquarters in Ranchi in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP) Tadasha Mishra, CRPF Inspector General Saket Kumar Singh, IG (Operations) Narendra Kumar Singh and other senior officers from the Jharkhand Police, CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar.
The surrendered Maoists included one Regional Committee Member (RCM), three Zonal Committee Members (ZCMs), three Sub-Zonal Committee Members (SZCMs), six Area Committee Members (ACMs) and two squad members. Most of them were associated with the strike teams of Politburo member Misir Besra alias Sagar Ji and Central Committee member Asim Mandal and were active in the dense forests of Kolhan and Saranda.
Addressing a press conference, DGP Tadasha Mishra said sustained joint operations by the Jharkhand Police, CRPF, CoBRA battalions and Jharkhand Jaguar, coupled with the State Government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, have considerably weakened the Maoist network. She said continuous security operations and growing dissatisfaction within the insurgent ranks have encouraged many cadres to abandon violence and return to the mainstream. She appealed to the remaining Maoists to surrender and lead a dignified life under the rehabilitation policy.
IG (Operations) Narendra Kumar Singh said 14 of the surrendered cadres were key members of the strike teams that provided operational support and acted as “human shields” for top Maoist leaders. Their surrender, he said, has significantly weakened the security cover around the Maoist leadership operating in the Chaibasa, Kolhan and Saranda region.
Among those who surrendered was Santosh alias Vasudev Da alias Gandhi alias Dilip alias Sanjay Mahato alias Vasuku alias Shyam, carrying a reward of Rs15 lakh. Chandan Lohra, carrying a reward of Rs10 lakh, and Anil Turi alias Ubbal and Sukhlal Birjia alias Akela, each carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, also laid down arms. The cadres were active across West Singhbhum, Latehar, Lohardaga, Khunti, Bokaro, Ranchi, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Giridih and Hazaribagh districts of Jharkhand, besides Sundargarh district of Odisha.
The surrendered Maoists deposited 11 sophisticated firearms, including six INSAS rifles, two AK-47 rifles, one HK-33 rifle, one US Carbine and one M-16 rifle, along with 38 magazines and 1,562 rounds of live ammunition.
CRPF IG Saket Kumar Singh said the security forces’ “triple strike” strategy of arrests, encounters and surrenders has severely weakened the Maoist organisation. He noted that after the surrender of 27 senior cadres in May, security forces arrested wanted commanders Ravindra Ganjhu and Ajay Mahto alias Tiger in July, while eight more Maoists linked to the same network, including five women commanders, surrendered in Chhattisgarh.
According to police data, anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand this year have resulted in 93 arrests, 45 surrenders and 22 Maoists being killed in encounters, underscoring the steady decline of the insurgent movement in the State.
