Maoist with Rs 25 lakh bounty surrenders in Jharkhand

A senior Maoist commander carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh surrendered before security officials in Jharkhand's Palamau district on Thursday, marking another significant setback for the banned CPI-Maoist organisation in the state.

The surrendered cadre was identified as Kamlesh Ganjhu alias Birsai. According to a police statement, he surrendered before Palamau Range Commissioner Manoj Kumar and Deputy Inspector General of Police Vipul Shukla. His wife, Raj Kumari, was also present during the surrender.

Police said Birsai had served as the secretary of the military commission and was the second-in-command of the CPI-Maoist in the region. He had been active across Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

Birsai reportedly joined the Maoist organisation in 1993 when he was only nine years old. Over the years, he allegedly became involved in several violent incidents and major Maoist operations.

Police have accused him of being the mastermind behind the 2013 attack in Latehar district in which 17 security personnel were killed. He is facing 44 cases in Latehar district and another 33 cases in Garhwa district.

His surrender is significant as it comes amid sustained efforts by the Jharkhand government and security agencies to encourage Maoist cadres to abandon armed insurgency and return to mainstream society. More than 60 Maoist cadres have surrendered in the state over the past three years.

Despite these surrenders, Maoist activity remains a security challenge in Jharkhand, with insurgents still reported to be active in 18 of the state's 24 districts. The authorities have been combining security operations with rehabilitation and surrender initiatives to weaken the insurgents' organisational network.

The surrender of a senior cadre with operations spanning three states is expected to provide security agencies with valuable information about the Maoist network, its leadership structure and activities in the region.