Jharkhand Police Arrest Top Maoist Leader Misir Besra

Jharkhand state police announced the arrest of Misir Besra, a 65‑year‑old Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), in Dhanbad district. Besra was seized during a vehicle check near the Dhanbad‑Giridih border as part of Operation Daura Pahad and was carrying a bounty of more than ₹2.2 crore. He is wanted in 175 cases spanning Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, including attacks on security forces, jailbreaks, bank robberies and IED blasts that have claimed over 100 security personnel lives.

Two other Maoists, Mehnat alias Mochu (₹15 lakh bounty) and Gaurav, were arrested at the same time. Police seized three AK‑47 rifles, eight magazines and 288 cartridges. Officials described Besra as the only remaining active top‑ranking Maoist Politburo member in the state and said his capture marks a major breakthrough in the anti‑Naxal campaign, which they claim has almost wiped out Maoist presence in Jharkhand. The operation follows a series of recent surrenders and arrests that have reduced the insurgent cadre in the region.