2 min readRanchiUpdated: Jul 29, 2026 12:32 PM IST
Misir Besra – the last senior Maoist leader in Jharkhand, on whose head there were bounties worth Rs 1 crore – was arrested Tuesday. Apart from Besra, four men, including two other Maoists – identified as Tumba Manjhi and Biren Hansda – were also arrested.
Besra’s arrest was part of a joint operation that involved CoBRA – the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, an elite unit within the Central Reserve Police Force.
CoBRA personnel are trained in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare.
Details about the Maoist network Besra ran will emerge after his interrogation, the police said. They refused to disclose, however, where Besra would be interrogated.
He has been linked to at least two major attacks that killed 55 security personnel.
16 Maoists surrender
The arrest – which authorities hope will derail Maoist activities in Jharkhand and neighbouring regions – came a day after 16 fighters, including a regional leader, surrendered to Jharkhand Police in Ranchi.
Police said the 16 Maoists had been active in the Kolhan-Saranda forests and Latehar district, and worked with teams led by Besra and central committee member Asim Mandal.
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Who is Misir Besra?
Born in the village of Madnadih, which is in Giridih district, Besra was known by many names. Some of his aliases were Sunirmal, Bhaskar, Sagar, and Pradhan.
Whatever name he used, he was among the senior-most Maoist leaders in the state.
How important is he?
Police records indicate Misir Besra is a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member and also part of the Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and the Eastern Regional Bureau.
How did he become a Maoist?
Besra entered the Maoist movement in the mid-1980s.
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He rose through the ranks over nearly four decades and played a key role in building its organisational and armed structure in Jharkhand.
In recent years, he was believed to be active mainly in the Kolhan and Saranda regions and, for the last few months, in the Parasnath hill area.