Asim Mandal, the last surviving member of the Maoist central committee, has been apprehended in East Midnapore district, West Bengal. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed the arrest on Thursday, marking a significant development in the state’s ongoing efforts to address Maoist activities.
Police Offer Reward for Maoist Information in Jharkhand
In August, police in East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, announced a reward of ₹ 1.34 crore for information leading to the capture of six Maoists, including one identified as Mandal, who has a bounty of ₹ 1 crore. Authorities believe these individuals have left West Singhbhum and are currently hiding in East Singhbhum and the neighboring districts of Purulia, Jhargram, and West Midnapore in West Bengal.
“No extremist ideology will be allowed to jeopardize the safety & security of the People and jeopardize the development of our State. The law will take its strictest course to demolish any such audacious attempt,” Adhikari wrote on X. Adhikari praised the West Bengal Police’s sharp technical intelligence and exceptional operational competence in arresting Mandal, who had been evading law enforcement for over 15 years across inter-state forest belts. Misir Besra, a Maoist Politburo member, was arrested in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad on July 28. Jharkhand Police last month said only 18 Maoists were at large, including Mandal. They added that 113 Maoists have been arrested from January to August, 50 have surrendered, and 22 have been killed. Union home minister Amit Shah told Parliament this year that the March 31 deadline for ending Left-wing extremism across the country had been met. Shah said 4,839 Maoists surrendered, 706 were killed, and 2,218 were arrested and jailed over the three years of heightened anti-Maoist operations.
He said the state government will not tolerate any attempt to revive or expand the network of “Red Terror” in the state. Jharkhand Police chief Tadasha Mishra had then said that after Besra, Mandal’s arrest was only a matter of time.
