The Saranda forest in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district turned into the centre of one of the state’s largest anti-Maoist operations on Thursday, when security forces killed 15 Maoists, including top leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, police said.
Five of those killed were women.
The operation, codenamed Operation Megaburu, involved around 1,500 personnel from the CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit and unfolded in the Kumdi area under Kiriburu police station limits.
What began as an early morning exchange of fire stretched into a seven-hour gunfight, followed by intermittent firing till late evening.
“We have recovered the bodies of 15 Maoists, including their top leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da carrying a bounty of Rs 2.35 crore on his head. The gunfight lasted for seven hours and thereafter intermittent exchange continued till late evening. Out of 15 bodies, 11 have been identified and identification of the remaining four Maoists is underway”, IG CRPF Saket Kumar Singh said.
Singh said this was unprecedented in Jharkhand’s long-running fight against Maoism. “This is the first time bodies of 15 Maoists have been recovered after an gunfight in Jharkhand. Earlier, the highest number was eight,” he said.
Anal Da was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in eastern India. Officials said he was wanted in 149 Maoist-related cases and carried a total bounty of Rs 2.35 crore - Rs 1 crore announced by the Jharkhand government, Rs 1.2 crore by Odisha, and Rs 15 lakh by the NIA.
A resident of Pirtand in Giridih district, he had been active since 1987 and had evaded security forces for decades.
According to police, Anal Da was involved in several high-profile attacks, including the March 3, 2006 assault on a CISF camp in Bokaro that killed five personnel and injured two.
He was also linked to the killing of five security personnel at Kukru Haat in Seraikela-Kharswan district in June 2019, and the loot of five tonnes of explosives in Odisha in May 2025.
Another senior Maoist killed was Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) member Anmol alias Sushant. Officials said he too was wanted in 149 cases and carried a reward of Rs 90 lakh - Rs 25 lakh from Jharkhand and Rs 65 lakh from Odisha.
Those killed also included regional committee member Amit Munda, who carried a bounty of Rs 62 lakh and was wanted in 96 cases; sub-zonal committee members Pintu Lohar and Laljeet alias Lalu; and area committee members Rajesh Munda, Bulbul Alda, Babita and Purnima.
Inspector General of Police (Operations) Michael Raj S told PTI that among the 15 Maoists killed, five were women.
Security forces also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the gunfight site. A police headquarters statement said, “The gunfight, which began at 6 am, is still on.”
The operation itself had been underway since Tuesday, officials said, but the firefight began after security forces received specific information about Anal Da’s presence in the Saranda forest along with his squad.
Singh said the Maoist structure in Jharkhand had been largely dismantled.
“Barring Misir Besra, all central committee members of CPI (Maoists) have been killed in Jharkhand,” he said. “Two central committee members were killed last year and one this year.”
According to Singh, only a small number of Maoists remain active in the state. “Now only 60-65 Maoists are left in the state and that too in Singhbhum. The last round of battle is going on and we will end this soon,” he said.
The IG CRPF also issued a warning. “The IG CRPF urged the Maoists to surrender before the security forces or else to be ready to face consequences.”
CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh had visited Chaibasa earlier this week to review the situation on the ground.
Officials said Kolhan and Saranda are now considered the final Maoist pockets in Jharkhand, with their activities already curbed in areas such as Buda Pahad, Chatra, Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga, Ranchi and Parasnath.
Political reactions followed swiftly. Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly and former BJP state president Babulal Marandi called the operation a major blow to Maoism.
“All the personnel involved in this operation have demonstrated indomitable courage, valor, and dedication to duty. Under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji, the Central Government is steadfastly moving forward with the resolve to eradicate Naxalism from its roots by March 2026”, Marandi said in a post on X.
Union home minister Amit Shah has repeatedly stated that the Centre aims to eliminate Naxalism from the country before March 31, 2026.
Official data shows the scale of the long campaign in Jharkhand: between 2001 and 2025, more than 11,000 Maoists have been arrested, around 250 killed and over 350 surrendered before security forces.