Jharkhand's Only Maoist Politburo Member Misir Besra, Wanted With Rs 1Cr Bounty, Arrested
Jharkhand's Only Maoist Politburo Member Misir Besra, Wanted With Rs 1Cr Bounty, Arrested Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 01:23 IST Besra was arrested
Jharkhand's Only Maoist Politburo Member Misir Besra, Wanted With Rs 1Cr Bounty, Arrested Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 01:23 IST Besra was arrested from the Maniadih area under Barwadda police station limits, a police officer said. Two other Maoists were also arrested during the operation. File photo of Misir Besra Jharkhand Police on Tuesday arrested top Maoist leader Misir Besra, who was wanted with a bounty of over Rs 1 crore, from Dhanbad district, officials said. Besra was arrested from the Maniadih area under Barwadda police station limits, a police officer said. Two other Maoists were also arrested during the operation. ALSO READ: Last Maoist Standing? Misir Besra Remains Key Target As India Eyes Naxal-Free Deadline Who is Misir Besra?
Misir Besra, also known by aliases including Bhaskar and Sagar, is Jharkhand’s only Maoist Politburo member. He is considered a key figure in the CPI (Maoist)’s ideological and operational command structure. The 66-year-old leader had remained on the run for nearly two decades. He was last arrested in Jharkhand in 2007 but escaped from Bihar Police custody in 2009 after Maoist cadres attacked a court premises in Lakhisarai district, where he had been brought on production remand. Security forces had been searching for Besra for years, with police officials calling him as one of the last remaining senior members of the Maoist Politburo. Other members of the group’s top leadership have either surrendered or been killed in encounters across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
16 Maoists surrender in Jharkhand Earlier today, 16 Maoists surrendered before Jharkhand Police, including six rebels carrying a combined bounty of Rs 39 lakh. Among those who surrendered was Santosh Mahto, also known as Basudev Da and Dilip, who was wanted in 128 cases and carried a Rs 15 lakh reward. Two sub-zonal committee members and two area committee functionaries were also among those who laid down their arms, police said. As part of its anti-Maoist operations across the state, Jharkhand Police claimed that 93 Maoists have been arrested, 45 have surrendered and 22 have been killed in encounters with security forces in 2026. (With inputs from PTI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.
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