Last Active Maoist Central Committee Member Misir Besra Arrested in Jharkhand's Dhanbad

Security forces arrested Misir Besra, the last remaining Central Committee and Politburo member of the banned CPI (Maoist), in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Tuesday.

Besra carried a bounty of over Rs 1 crore on information leading to his arrest. He was apprehended in the Tundi-Mandiya forest area near the Dhanbad-Giridih border alongside two associates, Gaurav Hasda and Mochu, while trying to flee a security operation, Jharkhand police officers and the CRPF informed.

With Besra's arrest, no active Central Committee members of the banned outfit remain at large, down from over 40 members at its peak. Over the years, security forces have arrested, killed or secured the surrender of the remaining 21 active Central Committee members. Besra was among the few senior leaders who consistently refused to surrender.

Trapped Near Parasnath Temple

An unnamed official outlined the tactical operation.

"He was trapped in the jungle area on the foothills of the Parasnath temple. At around 9 pm, he was trying to flee the jungle due to the massive deployment of forces and yesterday’s surrender of his key associates. He has been caught alive after more than two decades," the official said.

Besra's son, Siddharth Besra, had not been formally informed of the arrest but expressed relief that his father was caught alive. Security agencies had repeatedly approached the family to persuade the Maoist leader to surrender.

"Just 15 days ago, the police had come and asked me to write another letter requesting him to surrender. I have not seen him in 20 years but am glad that the forces have caught him alive," Siddharth said.

Reviewing District Of Concern

Besra's continued presence in the Saranda forests of West Singhbhum district was the primary reason the Union government classified it as a "district of concern" for Left-Wing Extremism.

Other former Maoist strongholds, such as Bastar in Chhattisgarh, have already been removed from the list following a series of surrenders and encounters involving senior Maoist leaders.

Following Besra's arrest, the Union home ministry is likely to review and potentially downgrade West Singhbhum's status as a district of concern, officials stated.