Arms recovered during the anti-Maoist operation
Ranchi: Security forces have achieved a significant breakthrough in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand’s Saraikela-Kharsawan district, recovering a cache of modern firearms, magazines, ammunition and explosives allegedly concealed in forest areas. In a related development, a woman Maoist from Chaibasa, identified as Anita Kayam surrendered before the police along with a country-made firearm.
The latest recovery was made during search operations launched on the basis of information obtained from Maoists arrested recently. Security forces conducted searches in the forests of Kuchai and Dalma and recovered weapons and ammunition that had allegedly been hidden underground and at other concealed locations.
According to officials, the search operations were conducted based on information obtained during the interrogation of three recently arrested members of the CPI (Maoist) organisation. They have been identified as Sub-Zonal Committee member Ravi Singh Sardar alias Sagar Singh Sardar, Regional Committee member Madan Mahto alias Shankar Mahto, and Sub-Zonal Commander Meena Pahariya alias Nesh Pahariya.
Acting on the intelligence gathered during their interrogation, joint teams comprising district police personnel, 209 CoBRA Khunti and the 26th Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) launched search operations in the region.
The teams conducted searches in the Sikramba forest area under Kuchai police station and the Dalma forest near Asanbani under Chandil police station. During the operation, security personnel detected weapons concealed underground and at other locations in the forest and subsequently recovered the cache.
The ongoing anti-Maoist campaign is being supervised by Saraikela-Kharsawan Superintendent of Police Manoj Swargiyari, SDPOs Anubhav Bhardwaj and Shiv Prakash Kumar, SSB officer Shakti Singh and 209 CoBRA officer Vipul Raj, along with officers-in-charge of various police stations and armed security personnel.
Police officials said the coordinated campaign would continue in the coming days with the objective of completely eliminating Maoist activities from the Kolhan region.
As part of the operation, a joint team of the 26th Battalion of the SSB’s ‘A’ Company based at Jomro in Kuchai and local police conducted a special search operation in the forests beyond Sikramba.
During the operation, security personnel located a cache of weapons allegedly concealed underground. The recovery included one INSAS rifle of 5.56 mm calibre, one SLR of 7.62 mm calibre, two .303 rifles and one country-made pistol.
The security forces also recovered three magazines and eight chargers for .303 rifles, three SLR magazines, four INSAS magazines and two magazines for the country-made pistol.
A total of 309 rounds of ammunition were recovered. The cache included 171 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 126 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition and 12 rounds of 9 mm ammunition.
The search teams also recovered one improvised explosive device (IED) and two detonators. The bomb disposal squad destroyed the explosive material at the site as a precautionary measure.
The Kuchai border area was once considered a major Maoist stronghold and remained severely affected by extremist activities. However, sustained security operations and an increased security presence over the past several years have significantly reduced Maoist activities in the area.
Officials said the recovery of weapons concealed underground nevertheless remains an important indication for security agencies, particularly in view of intelligence inputs regarding the movement of Maoist cadres in the wider Dalma region.
Security forces have reiterated that coordinated anti-Maoist operations will continue across the Kolhan region to identify and dismantle remaining Maoist networks and prevent extremist groups from regrouping.
In another significant development, woman Maoist Anita Kayam, a resident of Chaibasa, has reportedly surrendered before the police. She was allegedly associated with the team led by Maoist Central Committee member Asim Mandal alias Akash.
According to information gathered by security agencies, Kayam had joined the Maoist organisation around three to four months ago and was functioning as an ordinary member. Her primary responsibility within the organisation was reportedly preparing food for Maoist cadres.
Kayam was also carrying a country-made firearm, according to the information available. She is believed to have moved with the Asim Mandal team after it left the Saranda forest area. The group subsequently moved through areas including Dalma and Nimdih.
Her surrender is being viewed as another setback for the Maoist network operating in the region and comes amid intensified security operations aimed at dismantling extremist structures in the Kolhan area.
In an another significant development , security forces have intensified their operation along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border to track down wanted Maoist Central Committee member Asim Mandal alias Akash, who carries a bounty of ₹1 crore. Police and CoBRA personnel have reportedly maintained a 24-hour cordon in the area for several days, conducting sustained search operations across forested and hilly terrain.
Security has been tightened from the hill ranges to remote villages, with forces focusing on cutting off possible supply routes to the Maoist cadres. According to sources, the security measures have significantly disrupted the supply of food, water and other essential provisions to the Maoist group.
According to reliable sources, CoBRA personnel have entered the difficult terrain with the assistance of Rahul alias Ranjit Pal, a former Maoist who was accused in the murder of former MP Sunil Mahato and surrendered at the Kolkata Police headquarters in 2017.
Ranjit Pal had remained active in the region for a considerable period and is believed to possess detailed knowledge of the terrain stretching from the Dalma hills to Bandwan and Lalgarh in West Bengal. Security personnel are reportedly using his familiarity with the area to identify possible hideouts and movement routes of Asim Mandal and his associates.
Despite the sustained search operation, security forces have not yet had a direct encounter with Mandal and his group.
Asim Mandal, a native of Phulchak village in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, once operated with a 16-member Maoist squad. However, a series of police operations, arrests and other setbacks have reduced the strength of his group considerably.
According to security inputs, only seven cadres are currently believed to be accompanying Mandal. They have been identified as Sachin alias Ram Prasad Mardi, Atul alias Prakash, Bulu, Mita, Mangal and Malti, along with Mandal himself.
Security agencies suspect that Mandal and his remaining associates are hiding somewhere in the hilly stretch between Dalma and Ghatshila. The group is reportedly changing locations periodically to evade the security forces.
The dense forest cover during the monsoon is believed to be providing some advantage to the Maoists. However, security forces have maintained the cordon for more than ten days, with police teams from both Jharkhand and West Bengal conducting coordinated surveillance and search operations.
With security personnel maintaining vigilance on both sides of the border, officials believe it will be increasingly difficult for the group to move out of the area undetected.
Shubham Khandelwal, Rural SP, East Singhbhum, said joint operations were being conducted by Jharkhand and West Bengal Police following intelligence inputs about the presence of wanted Maoist commander Asim Mandal.
He said supply routes to the Maoist cadres had been blocked and asserted that the remaining members of the group would soon be brought within the reach of law enforcement agencies.
Khandelwal appealed to the remaining Maoists to surrender, saying it would be in their interest to lay down arms rather than face legal action.
He further said Maoist influence in Jharkhand had been reduced considerably and that, with security forces maintaining a tight vigil, the remaining extremists would find it increasingly difficult to evade arrest.
