Ranchi, July 29: In a breakthrough for Jharkhand’s anti-Naxal campaign, 16 active Maoists, including six carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹39 lakh, surrendered before the Jharkhand Police in Ranchi under the state’s ‘Nayi Disha-Nayi Pahal’ initiative.
The surrender was facilitated through Operation Navjeevan-II, a joint operation involving the Jharkhand Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar. The surrendered cadres belonged to the Kolhan and Latehar regions, long considered Maoist-affected areas.
Among those who laid down arms was Regional Committee Member Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, who carried a reward of ₹15 lakh and was wanted in 128 criminal cases, according to the police. The surrendered group also included three zonal commanders, three sub-zonal commanders, six area commanders and three cadre-level members. Five women cadres were among those who surrendered.
Other prominent surrendered Maoists included zonal committee member Chandan Lohra, carrying a ₹10 lakh reward and wanted in 78 cases, sub-zonal committee members Anil Turi alias Ujjwal and Sukhlal Birjiyan alias Akela, both carrying rewards of ₹5 lakh each, area committee members Sudesh Honhaga alias Sonaram Honhaga and Risiv, carrying rewards of ₹2 lakh each, and zonal committee member Santosh Manjhi alias Jagabandhu.
During the surrender ceremony, the Maoists handed over a sizeable cache of weapons and ammunition, including six INSAS rifles, two AK-47 rifles, 11 sophisticated firearms, 38 magazines and 1,562 rounds of ammunition.
Jharkhand Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra described the surrender as a significant achievement in the state’s campaign against Left Wing Extremism.
“The surrender of Maoists is another big achievement for the State police,” Mishra said.
“We are committed to eliminating extremism and crimes from the State. The Jharkhand Police are working towards their commitment to make the State clean,” she added.
A senior police officer said the surrender of Santosh Mahto was among the biggest successes of the operation.
“The surrender of Santosh Mahto, a regional committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), was one of the big achievements for the Jharkhand Police,” the officer said.
“Of the 16 Maoists, six were carrying a total bounty of ₹39 lakh on their heads. Five women members were also part of the group. A regional committee member and a zonal committee member are among them,” the officer added.
According to the police, Santosh Mahto was wanted in 128 criminal cases and was allegedly involved in an IED blast on March 1 that injured a CoBRA battalion jawan.
The Jharkhand Police said all surrendered Maoists would be extended benefits under the state’s rehabilitation policy to facilitate their reintegration into society.
According to official data, anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand during 2026 have so far resulted in the arrest of 93 Maoists, the surrender of 45 insurgents and the killing of 22 Maoists in encounters with security forces.
