Top Maoist leader Misir Besra arrested in Jharkhand in major anti-insurgency operation

In a major breakthrough for security forces battling Left-wing extremism, top CPI (Maoist) leader Misir Besra, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore, has been arrested along with two senior associates during a joint operation in Jharkhand.

Besra, a member of the Maoist outfit's Politburo — its highest decision-making body — was apprehended late on Tuesday night in the border region of Dhanbad and Giridih districts. The operation was carried out jointly by the Jharkhand Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the CoBRA battalion following specific intelligence inputs.

Also arrested were Regional Committee members Mehnat, alias Mochhu and Vibhishan Murmu, and Gaurav, alias Saurabh. Both carried rewards of Rs 15 lakh each.

Two other individuals were detained during the operation and are being questioned to determine their role and possible links with the banned outfit.

The arrests came just hours after 16 Maoist cadres surrendered before authorities in Ranchi. Among them was Devan Murmu, alias Shanicharva, a former close bodyguard of Besra, whose interrogation is understood to have yielded crucial intelligence on the senior Maoist leader's movements and possible hideouts.

Acting on the information, security forces planned the operation, laid a trap and successfully captured Besra, officials said.

A native of the Pirtand area in Giridih district, Besra is also known by the aliases Bhaskar, Sunirmal and Sagar. He joined the Maoist movement nearly four decades ago and steadily rose through its ranks to become one of its most senior leaders.

Security agencies say more than 150 criminal cases have been registered against him across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The allegations include murder, attacks on security personnel, improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, extortion and illegal levy collection.

Besra had previously been arrested by Khunti Police in 2007 but escaped from custody in 2009 after Maoists attacked the Lakhisarai court complex in Bihar, facilitating his escape. Since then, he had remained one of India's most wanted Maoist leaders.

Officials described the arrest as a major blow to the Maoist leadership in Jharkhand, coming at a time when the insurgent group has faced a series of encounters, arrests and surrenders in recent months.

Besra and his associates are currently being interrogated at an undisclosed location. Investigators hope the questioning will provide critical intelligence on the Maoist network, including its operational plans, funding channels, arms caches and remaining leadership structure.

With IANS inputs