Last active Maoist leader Misir Besra arrested; carried reward of over ₹1 crore

Misir Besra, the last last remaining Central Committee (CC) and Politburo member of the CPI (Maoist), was arrested in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district on Tuesday.

Misir Besra, the last remaining Central Committee (CC) and Politburo member of the CPI (Maoist), was arrested in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district on Tuesday, officials from the CRPF and Jharkhand Police said. Carrying a reward of more than ₹1 crore on information leading to his arrest, Besra was caught in the Tundi-Mandiya forest area near the Dhanbad-Giridih border while allegedly trying to flee a security operation, they said.

Misir Besra, last remaining Central Committee (CC) and Politburo member of the CPI (Maoist), was arrested on Tuesday in Jhakhand. (@GIRIDIHPOLICE)

Two of his associates, Gaurav Hasda and Mochu, were also arrested.

With Besra’s arrest, no active Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) remains at large, officials said. At its peak, the outfit had more than 40 Central Committee members. Over the years, security forces have arrested, killed or secured the surrender of the remaining 21 active CC members. Besra had been among the few senior leaders who consistently refused to surrender.

“He was trapped in the jungle area on the foothills of the Parasnath temple. At around 9 pm, he was trying to flee the jungle due to the massive deployment of forces and yesterday’s surrender of his key associates. He has been caught alive after more than two decades,” an official requesting anonymity said.

Besra’s son, Siddharth Besra, said he had not yet been formally informed of the arrest. Security agencies had repeatedly approached the family to persuade the Maoist leader to surrender. “Just 15 days ago, the police had come and asked me to write another letter requesting him to surrender. I have not seen him in 20 years but am glad that the forces have caught him alive,” Siddharth said.

Officials said Besra’s continued presence in the Saranda forests of West Singhbhum district was one of the reasons the Union government continued to classify the district as a “district of concern” for Left-Wing Extremism. Most other districts that were once major Maoist strongholds, including Bastar in Chhattisgarh, have been removed from the list following a series of surrenders and encounters involving senior Maoist leaders.

With Besra’s arrest, officials said the Union home ministry is likely to review West Singhbhum’s status as a district of concern.