NEW DELHI: Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Gyanendra Prasad Singh, on January 19, visited Chaibasa of Jharkhand and reviewed the ongoing anti-Maoist operations.
The meeting, according to the officials, was primarily to take stock of the situation and re-strategies force’s plan to make the ongoing operations against Maoists more effective.
Discussions were also held to improve coordination among different agencies to ensure smooth operations, said an official, as quoted in media reports.
The CRPF DG, also interacted with senior officials of the police and those who are engaged in counter-insurgency operations in Saranada forest area, the only remaining stronghold of extremists in Jharkhand. The visit is consider crucial ahead of the March 2026 deadline, announced by the Union to eradicate Maoist-insurgency from Bharat.
Major anti-Naxal drive in Jharkhand’s Parasnath Hills, Budha Pahad and Chakarbandha region, bordering Bihar has compelled the Maoists to confine to limited pockets of state’s West Singhbhum and Latehar districts, with forces closing in.
Other than CPI (Maoist), the state also had an active presence of other splinter outfits such as the People Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Tritiye Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) and Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) whose leaders and cadres have been either neutralised or arrested in separate operations.
21 boxes of explosives stolen from sealed warehouse in Koderma
In a separate development, unknown criminals have stolen 21 boxes of explosives from a sealed warehouse in Koderma district.
As per media reports, the theft was carried out from a magazine which was sealed in the year 2016, after the police seized a vehicle carrying a consignment of explosives allegedly meant for extremists group.
The matter came to light on January 17, after the locks of the magazine, located deep inside the forest area were found to be broken. Upon inspections, around 21 boxes of Gelatin powder were found to be missing from the stocks.
The authorities following the theft incident have initiated a probe into the matter and are investigating that whether the theft was carried out by criminals or Maoists. A FIR in this regard has also been registered by the police against unknown people. The matter is being probed further.
