Misir Besra, a senior CPI (Maoist) politburo member carrying a bounty exceeding ₹2 crore and wanted in over 170 cases, has been arrested in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district.

His capture is being hailed as one of the most significant breakthroughs in India’s decades-long campaign against Left-wing extremism, with officials declaring that the Maoist movement is now virtually defunct.

Misir Besra, aged 65, was apprehended from the Maniadih area under Barwadda Police Station limits in Dhanbad during a joint operation by Jharkhand Police, CRPF and CoBRA units. He is also known by aliases including Sagar Da, Bhaskar Da and Sunirmal.

Besra had been associated with the banned CPI (Maoist) since 1980, rising through the ranks to become a central committee member in 2003 and later a politburo member.

Police records show Besra was wanted in 141 cases across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, though senior officials now confirm the tally exceeds 170, including charges of murder, IED blasts, extortion, levy collection, and attacks on security forces. He was instrumental in forming armed squads in Bundu, Ranchi and other districts, and played a central role in expanding Maoist networks across eastern India.

The operation also led to the arrest of two other Maoists, Mehnat alias Mochhu and Gaurav alias Saurabh, both regional committee members carrying rewards of ₹15 lakh each. Together, the three were wanted in more than 320 criminal cases. Two additional individuals were detained for questioning to ascertain their links with the organisation.

Officials revealed that crucial intelligence on Besra’s movements came from surrendered cadres, including his former bodyguard Devan Murmu. Just hours before the arrests, 16 Maoists surrendered in Ranchi, six of them carrying a combined bounty of ₹39 lakh. Among them was Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, wanted in 128 cases with a ₹15 lakh reward.

Besra’s family confirmed he had not returned home since 1986–87. His brother Devlal Besra said the family had repeatedly appealed for him to abandon violence and return to the mainstream. Besra has a daughter working in Delhi and an 18-year-old son.

Security officials emphasised that the arrests mark a decisive blow to the Maoist leadership. Jharkhand’s Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra stated that the Maoist menace has been “almost wiped out” from the state. With Besra’s capture, both the central committee and politburo of CPI (Maoist) are now defunct, effectively signalling the end of the insurgency.

The arrest comes after a series of major operations in Jharkhand, including the killing of 16 Maoists led by Anal alias Patiram Manjhi earlier this year in West Singhbhum. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has described these developments as historic successes in the campaign to make the region free of Naxals.

Investigators are now interrogating Besra and his associates at an undisclosed location. Authorities expect the questioning to yield critical intelligence on Maoist funding channels, arms caches and residual networks. Intensive operations are planned to trace the remaining 15–20 Maoists believed to be active in Jharkhand, including three carrying cash rewards.

The arrest of Misir Besra is widely regarded as the most significant anti-Maoist success in recent years, closing a chapter on one of India’s longest-running internal security challenges.

PTI