Top Maoist Misir Besra, carrying bounty of Rs 1 crore arrested in Jharkhand
According to the security agencies, Besra was in the 'most wanted' list for years and was deemed as a key orchestrator of Maoist activities across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
PTC News Desk: Top Maoist Misir Besra , who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore, was arrested in Jharkhand's Dhanbad on Tuesday evening.
A resident of Harladih in Giridih, Besra was wanted in various cases related to Maoist activities in several states. Two Maoist members - Mochhu and Saurabh (alias Gaurav) - and two villagers from the Giridih-Dhanbad border area were also arrested along with Besra.
According to the security agencies, Besra was in the 'most wanted' list for years and was deemed as a key orchestrator of Maoist activities across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Several criminal cases, including murder, attacks on security personnel, extortion, and IED blasts, have been registered against Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da, also known as Besra.
The Central Government and several state governments had announced a reward of ₹1 crore for information leading to his arrest.
Besra was considered a powerful Maoist leader with strong influence in the Kolhan, Saranda, and Parasnath regions. He played an important role in planning the group's strategies and overseeing its network across multiple states.
In recent months, many of his close associates had either surrendered or been arrested, weakening his network. This prompted security forces to step up efforts to capture him.
Officials believe Besra's arrest is a major blow to the Maoist movement in Jharkhand and eastern India. They expect his questioning to provide important information about the group's top leaders, weapons supply, extortion operations, hideouts, and other active Maoists.
Mochhu and Saurabh, who were arrested with him, are also believed to be active members of the Maoist organisation.
Police are also investigating the role of the two villagers arrested alongside them to find out whether they were helping the Maoists and what their involvement was.
Earlier on Tuesday, 16 Maoists, including six carrying a combined reward of ₹39 lakh, surrendered before the Jharkhand Police.