Jamshedpur : The Maoist network operating along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border suffered a major setback after three senior CPI (Maoist) cadres, including Regional Committee member Ramprasad Mardi alias Mahadev, Sachin and Sunil, and his wife Mita alias Nayantara, surrendered before the West Bengal Police in Kolkata amid sustained security operations and increasing pressure on the insurgent organisation.
The third cadre to surrender was Gauri alias Bullu, also known by the aliases Joba and Budai, a CPI (Maoist) Sub-Zonal Committee member. According to police records, a total of 81 criminal cases are registered against the three Maoists.
Mardi, a native of Jhujhka village under Patamda Police Station in East Singhbhum district, had reportedly remained active in the Maoist organisation for nearly two decades. He carried a reward of Rs 15 lakh announced by the Jharkhand government. His wife Mita, a Zonal Committee member, carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh.
Mardi alone is facing 44 cases registered at several police stations in East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts. The cases relate to serious offences including murder, attempt to murder, attacks on police and security personnel, IED blasts and violations of the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
Police records indicate that his activities extended across a large forested belt covering East Singhbhum, Saranda, Kolhan, Dalma and adjoining areas of West Bengal’s Jangalmahal region.
Mardi Accused in MP Sunil Mahato Murder
Mardi is also accused of involvement in the high-profile killing of former Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahato. His name has figured in several violent incidents targeting security forces and police personnel over the years. He was also allegedly involved in an attack on an Eastern Frontier Rifles camp in West Bengal’s Midnapore.
Sustained Security Operations Put Pressure on Maoist Network
The surrender of the three cadres comes amid intensified anti-Maoist operations in the forest and hilly areas of Jharkhand. Security forces have been conducting sustained combing operations in the Saranda and Kolhan forests and other Maoist-affected areas along the state border.
Reward posters targeting key Maoist cadres, including Mardi, were also put up in villages and other vulnerable locations in the border belt. Security operations have reportedly disrupted the movement of Maoist squads, their logistics and supply chains, besides reducing their access to traditional safe hideouts.
The weakening of the Maoist network, coupled with sustained pressure from security forces, is being seen as a major factor behind the surrender of the three cadres. The simultaneous surrender of a Regional Committee member, a Zonal Committee member and a Sub-Zonal Committee member is particularly significant for the security establishment.
Mardi Linked to Multiple Attacks on Security Forces
Police records show that cases against Mardi date back to 2007. He has cases registered at Patamda, Ghatshila, MGM, Galudih, Bodam, Kharsawan, Kuchai, Toklo, Tonto and Jaraikela police stations.
One of the recent incidents linked to the Maoist network occurred on March 1, 2026, when security forces engaged Maoists in a forested and hilly area between Marangponga and Kinbir, near the boundaries of Chiria OP, Chhotanagra and Jaraikela police station areas in Manoharpur, Chaibasa.
During the encounter, CoBRA personnel Vikram Yadav was injured by gunfire. Security forces subsequently recovered 131 rounds of ammunition, three magazines and a wireless set from the encounter site.
Later, Assistant Commandant Ajay Mallik and Head Constable GD Sanjay Kumar of the 209th Battalion of CoBRA were injured after coming in contact with an IED planted by Maoists in the area.
Another major incident took place on September 19, 2024, when Maoists targeted security forces with an IED near Tirilposi under Jaraikela Police Station. R. Sugumar, a member of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad of the 209th Battalion of CoBRA, was injured in the blast.
Earlier, on January 11 and 12, 2023, security forces and Maoists engaged in an encounter in the Tumbahaka forest area under Tonto Police Station in Chaibasa. A series of IED blasts during the operation injured nine CoBRA personnel.
Police have also alleged the involvement of Mita in the Tumbahaka incident and the 2024 Tirilposi IED blast.
Mita Faced 19 Cases
Mita alias Nayantara, also known by aliases including Jhumpha, Pori and Nutan, is a resident of Sonachura under Nandigram Police Station in West Bengal, according to police records. She was identified as a CPI (Maoist) Zonal Committee member and carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh announced by the Jharkhand government.
She is facing 19 criminal cases, including cases registered in the Ghatshila, Tonto and Jaraikela areas. Her name has figured in cases involving attacks on security personnel and IED blasts.
Her alleged involvement in the January 2023 Tumbahaka forest attack and the September 2024 Tirilposi blast had made her a key target for security agencies operating in the region.
Gauri Linked to 2025 IED Attack
The third Maoist, Gauri alias Bullu, Joba and Budai, is a resident of Jamirdih under Belpahari Police Station in West Bengal’s Jhargram district. Police have identified Gauri as a CPI (Maoist) Sub-Zonal Committee member. He is facing 18 criminal cases.
Gauri’s name has figured in connection with the 2023 Tumbahaka IED attack as well as a major IED incident in the Samtha forest area under Jaraikela Police Station on October 10, 2025.
During that incident, CRPF 60th Battalion Inspector Kaushal Kumar Mishra was seriously injured in an IED blast. In a subsequent search operation, another IED exploded, injuring Sub-Inspector Ramchandra Gogoi and Head Constable Mahendra Laskar. Laskar later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Saranda Operations Yield Arms and Explosives
Security forces have also intensified operations in the Saranda forest, which has long been regarded as an important Maoist operating zone.
On November 6, 2025, security forces engaged Maoists during an anti-Naxal operation in the Kulapuburu area of Saranda forest under Chhotanagra Police Station. During the subsequent search operation, personnel recovered two SLR rifles, a .303 rifle, 245 rounds of ammunition, magazines, gelatin sticks, IEDs, electric detonators, a laptop and an FM radio, among other materials.
Two days later, on November 8, another IED blast occurred in the Saranda forest. A trained CoBRA dog was killed and a security personnel was injured in the incident.
These operations, officials believe, have significantly affected the Maoists’ ability to move personnel, weapons and supplies through the forest corridor and maintain secure hideouts.
Major Setback for Border Maoist Network
According to police records, Mardi, Mita and Gauri had remained active in Maoist operations across Kolhan and adjoining areas along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border for several years.
Their surrender is being viewed as a significant success for the security forces, particularly because the three belonged to different levels of the Maoist organisational structure. Mardi was a Regional Committee member, Mita a Zonal Committee member and Gauri a Sub-Zonal Committee member.
The development also highlights the impact of sustained anti-Maoist operations, intelligence-based action and disruption of the insurgents’ logistical network in the forested areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal.
With key cadres facing multiple criminal cases and rewards, and security forces maintaining continuous pressure in their traditional operational zones, the surrender of the three cadres is expected to further weaken the Maoist network along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border.
