Top Maoist leader with ₹2 crore bounty among 16 eliminated in major Jharkhand encounter

The encounter marks one of the most significant blows to Left Wing Extremism in recent years, coming months ahead of the Union government’s March 31, 2026, deadline to eradicate Naxalism nationwide.

Patiram Majhi, a Maoist central committee member known by multiple aliases including Anal-da, Toofan and Ramesh, was killed along with 15 others during a joint operation by Jharkhand Police and the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite 209 CoBRA battalion.

Seven-hour gunfight deep inside Saranda forest

The encounter unfolded in the Kumdi area of the Saranda forest, under the jurisdiction of Kiriburu police station, as part of “Operation Meghaburu.” 

Acting on specific intelligence about Maoist squads operating between Bahda and Kumbhdih villages, joint forces launched an early morning operation.

CRPF Inspector General Saket Kumar said the Maoists opened indiscriminate fire after finding themselves surrounded. 

The resulting gunbattle lasted over seven hours, leading to the deaths of 16 Maoists, 11 of whom have been identified so far.

Major success against Left Wing Extremism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation as a major achievement in the ongoing campaign to rid the region of Naxal violence. 

In a post on X, Shah reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate Naxalism before the 2026 deadline and appealed to remaining extremists to abandon violence and join the mainstream.

Describing the development as historic, IG Kumar said identification of the deceased was still underway due to poor network connectivity and the challenging terrain. 

He noted that Saranda’s dense forests and widespread presence of improvised explosive devices continue to pose serious operational risks.

Senior Maoist cadre eliminated

Officials confirmed that several key Maoist figures were among those killed. 

These included Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee member Lalchand Hembram, also known as Anmol or Sushant, who carried a ₹90 lakh bounty, and regional committee member Amit Munda, with a cumulative bounty of ₹62 lakh.

Other cadres neutralised included sub-zonal committee members Pintu Lohra and Laljit, area committee member Rajesh Munda, and several women Maoist leaders, including Bulbul Alda, Babita, Purnima, Gope Surajmuni and Jonga. 

Babita was identified as Rajesh Munda’s wife.

Anal-da’s long record of violence

Jharkhand IG (Operations) Michael Raj said Patiram Majhi had 149 criminal cases registered against him. 

His alleged involvement included the looting of 183 rifles from a home guard armoury in Giridih, the 2005 Bhelwa Ghati massacre, an attack on a CRPF camp in Bokaro, and multiple IED blasts and ambushes across West Singhbhum between 2022 and 2025.

Final push to clear Jharkhand of Naxals

Security officials said only 40 to 50 Maoists remain in the Saranda region, with another 10 active elsewhere in Jharkhand. 

The number of Naxal-affected police station areas in the state has been reduced to just two—Jaraikela and Chotanagra—from 14 earlier.

The encounter follows closely after CRPF Director General (Operations) Gyanendra Pratap Singh finalised a roadmap for the final phase of operations against Maoist remnants during a strategy meeting in Chaibasa earlier this week. 

Authorities expressed confidence that Jharkhand is on track to meet the national target of becoming Naxal-free within the stipulated timeframe.