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Battle rages between Maoists, police forces in Jharkhand

By, Jamshedpur
Aug 12, 2023 10:08 PM IST

Police verified on Saturday that top three Maoist leaders, Misir Besra, known by aliases Bhaskar and Sunirmal-ji, central committee members Asim Mondal (also called Akash or Timir) and Patiram Majhi (referred to as Anal-da or Ramesh), have taken refuge within the dense terrains that traverse the boundaries of the three districts West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, and Khunti.

The Jharkhand Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are locked in a battle amidst the hills and jungles of the Kolhan division in Jharkhand, engaging with the top leaders and commanders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), some of whom have bounties of over 4 crore on their heads.

Items recovered by the security forces after they busted Maoist bunkers in Chaibasa on Friday. (PTI)
Items recovered by the security forces after they busted Maoist bunkers in Chaibasa on Friday. (PTI)

Kolhan division comprises of West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts.

Police verified on Saturday that top three Maoist leaders, Misir Besra, known by aliases Bhaskar and Sunirmal-ji, central committee members Asim Mondal (also called Akash or Timir) and Patiram Majhi (referred to as Anal-da or Ramesh), have taken refuge within the dense terrains that traverse the boundaries of the three districts West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, and Khunti.

This strategic tri-junction serves as a pivotal point, and the Maoist operatives are capitalising on the intricate network of jungle and village roads to facilitate cross-border movements, police said.

Operating under their guidance, the Maoist squads have effectively converted the Saranda and Porahat forest domains into secure hideouts, working towards their objective - “the establishment of a self-proclaimed ‘liberated zone”, police added.

“Amid our loss of a young soldier, Sushant Kumar Kunthia, to Maoist gunfire and Munna Lal Yadav’s unfortunate injury, we achieved a significant triumph by dismantling their recent sanctuary nestled within the jungles near Tonto and Goilkera police stations. Just this past Wednesday, we razed their newly established headquarters in the Rerdakicha jungles, situated under Tonto PS jurisdiction. This particular establishment had been erected after their displacement from Sarjamburu,” disclosed Ashutosh Shekhar, superintendent of police (SP) for West Singhbhum, in a conversation with HT on Saturday.

“For 5-6 years, Misir Besra, Patiram Majhi, and Prashant Bose (alias Kisan-da) have sought refuge in the Kokhan region. On the other hand, Asim Mondal joined their ranks after the year 2017. Following the setback of Kisan-da’s apprehension, they refocused their efforts on the jungles of Kuchai, Tonto, Goilkera, and the encompassing areas,” he added.

The SP underscored the joint collaborative efforts of district police, CRPF, Cobra battalions, Jharkhand Jaguar battalions, and specialised bomb disposal units. These units successfully obliterated several additional bunkers on Thursday.

“Yesterday marked the closest encounter with Misir Besra’s unit, yet they retreated in response to intense gunfire from our side. Our efforts have led to the destruction of 11 bunkers, yielding the recovery of a substantial cache of explosives, IEDs, mortars, arrows and directional bombs, alongside claymore mines. These bunkers were equipped with lighting and other communication amenities, with Misir’s most extensive space being an underground chamber spanning 50x25 feet,” Shekhar said.

Officials close to the developments disclosed that squads led by Ajay Mahato (also identified as Tiger), Anmol-da (known as Lalchand Hembram), and Chaman (referred to as Lambu or Karamchand Hansda), each carrying a reward of 25 lakh, are strategically positioned.

This arrangement is complemented by special zonal committee members Mochu (also recognised as Mehnat or Bibhisan) and Amit Munda, both carrying a reward of 15 lakh. Additionally, area commanders Kande, Sagen Angariya, and Ashwini, bearing 2 lakh reward each, collaborate to form a security perimeter around the trio of top Maoist naxalites. Meanwhile, the approach paths have been heavily fortified with landmines and IEDs.

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