ANI image
NEW DELHI: 16 Maoists were killed in a major gunfight with security forces during Operation Megaburu in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district. Top CPI (Maoist) leader Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da, carrying a cumulative bounty of over Rs 2.35 crore, was among those killed.The encounter took place during a joint operation by the CRPF and Jharkhand Police in the Saranda forest area, one of the last Maoist strongholds in the state. Among those killed were five women and several senior leaders of the banned outfit.Giving details, union home minister Amit Shah said that the operation marked a significant breakthrough in the Centre’s push to eliminate Left-wing extremism. In a post on X, he wrote: “Today, in West Singhbhum, the ongoing joint operation by CRPF and Jharkhand Police has achieved a major success in the campaign to make the region free of Naxals, with the neutralisation of the notorious bounty-wanted Naxal Central Committee member ‘Anal alias Patiram Manjhi’… and 15 other Naxals so far.” Anal Da was carrying a total bounty of Rs 2.35 crore: Rs 1 crore announced by Jharkhand, Rs 1.2 crore by Odisha and Rs 15 lakh by the NIA. A resident of Giridih district, he had been active since 1987 and was involved in several high-profile attacks. This includes the 2006 assault on a CISF camp in Bokaro that killed five personnel, the killing of five security personnel in Seraikela-Kharswan in 2019 and the theft of five tonnes of explosives in Odisha in May 2025. Shah reiterated the government’s resolve to end Naxalism by March 31 this year and appealed to remaining Maoists to surrender. “We are committed to eradicating Naxalism, which has been synonymous with fear and terror for decades. I once again appeal to the remaining Naxals to abandon the ideology that connects to violence, terror, and arms, and join the mainstream of development and trust,” he said.Officials said around 1,500 personnel of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit were involved in the operation, codenamed Operation Megaburu, in the Kumdi area under Kiriburu police station limits. The exchange of fire began on Thursday morning following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Anal Da and his squad.CRPF Inspector General Saket Kumar Singh said bodies of the Maoists had been recovered from the encounter site. “We have recovered the bodies of Maoists, including their top leader Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da carrying a bounty of Rs 2.35 crore on his head. Eleven bodies have been identified and identification of the remaining four Maoists is underway,” he said. Singh added that this was the highest number of Maoist bodies recovered in a single encounter in Jharkhand.Singh also said that barring Misir Besra, all central committee members of CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand have now been eliminated. “Only around 60–65 Maoists are left in the state, mostly confined to Singhbhum. The last round of battle is going on and we will end this soon,” he said, urging remaining cadres to surrender or face consequences.Another senior Maoist killed was Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee member Anmol alias Sushant, who was wanted in 149 cases and carried a Rs 90 lakh reward. Other slain cadres included regional committee member Amit Munda, sub-zonal committee members Pintu Lohar and Laljeet alias Lalu and several area committee members.Inspector General of Police (Operations) Michael Raj S said five of the Maoists killed were women. Senior CRPF officials, including Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh, had reviewed the situation in Chaibasa earlier this week.Reacting to the development, BJP leader and Jharkhand opposition leader Babulal Marandi termed it a major success against “red terror.”In a post on X, he said, “All the personnel involved in this operation have demonstrated indomitable courage, valor, and dedication to duty… the Central Government is steadfastly moving forward with the resolve to eradicate Naxalism from its roots by March 2026.”According to official data, between 2001 and 2025, more than 11,000 Maoists have been arrested, around 250 killed and over 350 surrendered before security forces across Jharkhand. Go to Source
