Jharkhand Police announce cash reward for info on last top Maoist, 5 accomplices
The six Maoists are believed to have left West Singhbhum and are holed up in East Singhbhum and neighbouring West Bengal
The Jharkhand police have announced a substantial reward of ₹1.34 crore for information leading to the capture of six Maoists, including Asim Mondal, who is the final surviving member of the Maoist central committee. Asim Mondal, who carries a ₹1 crore bounty, is believed to have recently moved from West Singhbhum to East Singhbhum and neighbouring areas in West Bengal.
Intensified anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand have resulted in the arrest of Maoist Politburo member Misir Besra, who had a ₹2 crore bounty, and the death of central committee members Patiram Majhi, Lalchand Hembram, and three dozen other Maoists. In addition, a large number of surrenders have taken place. West Singhbhum was declared Maoist-free in August.
Police have distributed posters depicting the six Maoists, urging the public to share any information regarding their whereabouts while ensuring the anonymity of the informants. Deputy police superintendent Dayanand Kumar stated that there have been no signs of the Maoists engaging in overt activities during the extensive searches conducted over the past month.
The search for these last remaining Maoists involves joint efforts from the police forces of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the central paramilitary. It is believed that the last sighting of the six Maoists was on August 19 in Basadera. An intelligence input suggested that they might be hiding in the Dalma Hills, a stretch of 40-55 km.
As of now, there are only 18 Naxals at large in Jharkhand, including Asim Mondal. The police have arrested 113 Maoists, with 50 surrendering and 22 killed during the period from January to August. A total of 111 weapons, 9,904 rounds of live cartridges, and ₹6 lakh in cash have been seized during this time. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in March that the March 31 deadline for ending Left-wing extremism across the country had been met, with 4,839 Maoists surrendering, 706 killed, and 2,218 arrested during the heightened anti-Maoist operations.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
