Top Maoist leader Anal Da among 16 killed in Jharkhand: Amit Shah

Chaibasa(Jharkhand)/New Delhi: Sixteen Maoists, including top leader Anal, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Thursday, January 22, Union home minister Amit Shahsaid.

Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da, carrying a Rs 2.35 crore bounty, and five women were among those killed.

The bounty included Rs 1 crore by Jharkhand, Rs 1.2 crore by Odisha and Rs 15 lakh by the NIA.

“Today, in West Singhbhum, the ongoing joint operation by CRPF and Jharkhand Police has achieved a major success in the campaign to make the region free of Naxals, with the neutralisation of the notorious bounty-wanted Naxal Central Committee member ‘Anal alias Patiram Manjhi’… and 15 other Naxals so far,” Shah posted on X.

He appealed to the remaining Maoists to abandon their ideology that connects to violence, terror and arms, and join the mainstream of development and trust.

“We are committed to eradicating Naxalism, which has been synonymous to fear and terror for decades, before March 31, 2026,” he said.

Around 1,500 personnel of the CRPF’s CoBRA unit were engaged in the operation in Kumdi area of Saranda forest within Kiriburu police station limits, officials said, describing it as one of the biggest anti-Maoist drives in the state.

“We have recovered the bodies of Maoists, including their top leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da carrying a bounty of Rs 2.35 crore on his head. Eleven bodies have been identified and identification of the remaining four Maoists is underway”, IG CRPF Saket Kumar Singh said.

“This is the first time bodies of so many Maoists have been recovered after an encounter in Jharkhand. Earlier, the highest number was eight,” Singh said.

Barring Misir Besra, all central committee members of CPI (Maoists) have been killed in Jharkhand, Singh said.

“Two central committee members were killed last year and one this year,” he said, adding that now only 60-65 Maoists are left in the state and that too in Singhbhum.

“The last round of battle is going on and we will end this soon,” Singh added.

The IG CRPF urged the Maoists to surrender before the security forces or else to be ready to face consequences.

Inspector General of Police (Operations) Michael Raj S told PTI that among the Maoists killed in ‘Operation Megaburu’, five were women.

Anal Da was involved in an attack on a CISF camp in Jharkhand’s Bokaro on March 3, 2006, in which five CISF personnel were killed and two injured.

He was also involved in the killing of five security personnel at Kukru Haat in Seraikela-Kharswan district in June 2019 and loot of five tonnes of explosives in Odisha in May 2025.

Another top Maoist leader killed in the encounter was Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) member Anmol alias Sushant, who was wanted in 149 cases and carried a Rs 90 lakh reward, comprising Rs 25 lakh by Jharkhand and Rs 65 lakh by Odisha governments, officials said.

Other Maoists killed in the gunfight include regional committee member Amit Munda, carrying a bounty of Rs 62 lakh (Rs 15 lakh by Jharkhand, Rs 43 lakh by Odisha and Rs 4 lakh by NIA) and wanted in 96 cases, sub-zonal committee members Pintu Lohar, who was wanted in 47 cases and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh and Laljeet alias Lalu, carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, and area committee members Rajesh Munda, Bulbul Alda, Babita and Purnima.

The anti-Maoist operation has been going on in the Saranda forest since Tuesday, but the exchange of fire began on Thursday morning.

Raj said the operation started after police received a tip-off about the presence of Anal Da, along with his squad, in Saranda forest.

A resident of Pirtand in Giridih district, Anal Da had been active since 1987.

CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh visited Chaibasa, the district headquarters of West Singhbhum, on Monday to take stock of the situation.

Kolhan and Saranda are considered the last strongholds of Maoists in Jharkhand.