In a significant blow to Left Wing Extremism in Jharkhand, eight Naxals—including a high-ranking Central Committee Member (CCM) with a bounty of ₹1 crore—were killed in an encounter with CoBRA commandos of the CRPF and the state police in Bokaro district on Monday.

The operation, which began around 5:30 am in the Lugu Hills of the Lalpania area, was based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of Naxal elements in the region. Security forces launched a coordinated offensive, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire that led to the neutralization of these extremists.

Among those killed was Prayag Manjhi alias Vivek, a central committee member and one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the region, along with Arvind Yadav alias Avinash (special area committee member, ₹25 lakh bounty) and Sahebram Manjhi alias Rahul Manjhi (zonal committee member, ₹10 lakh bounty). Other deceased included Mahesh Manjhi alias Mota, Talu, Ranju Manjhi, Gangaram, and Mahesh. The operation also resulted in the recovery of a significant cache of arms: an AK-series rifle, three INSAS rifles, a self-loading rifle (SLR), eight country-made guns, and a pistol.

Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported among the security personnel, and this successful strike marks the first time a Naxal leader of CCM rank with such a high bounty has been eliminated in Jharkhand’s history. The central committee is recognized as the Maoist organization’s top decision-making body, and the loss of such senior cadres is a major setback for the extremist outfit.

Jharkhand’s Director General of Police, Anurag Gupta, stated that with this encounter, Maoist squads in the North Chotanagpur region have been wiped out, and the Maoist presence in the state has been reduced to only the Chaibasa region.

He further outlined plans to redeploy forces, including the CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar, and Jharkhand Armed Police, to the Saranda area with the aim of eliminating the remaining Maoist squads within the next 15 to 20 days, or before the onset of the rainy season. The DGP also appealed to Maoists in the Chaibasa region to surrender, highlighting the state’s favourable surrender policy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the security forces for their achievement, emphasizing that the government’s campaign to eradicate Naxalism continues unabated and that this operation represents a major success in the ongoing efforts to uproot the extremist threat from the country.

This encounter is part of a broader, intensified campaign by central and state forces to eliminate Naxalism nationwide by March 2026. In neighbouring Chhattisgarh, similar operations have resulted in the deaths of more than 140 Maoists this year alone, with security agencies describing the state as the "last bastion" of Left Wing Extremism in India. The recent operations underscore a strategic shift and growing effectiveness in anti-Naxal efforts, signalling a turning point in the decades-long conflict.

PTI