Jharkhand Police Offer ₹1.34 Crore Reward for Top Maoist Asim Mondal

Jharkhand Police announced a ₹1.34 crore reward for anyone who can provide reliable information on the whereabouts of six Maoists, including Asim Mondal, the last surviving member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee. The reward is aimed at locating Mondal, who carries a ₹1 crore bounty, and his five accomplices—Ramprasad Mardi, his wife Mita, Mangal Sardar, Malti Murmu, and Bulu Mahato. The six men are believed to have moved from West Singhbhum to East Singhbhum and to nearby districts in West Bengal—Purulia, Jhargram, and West Midnapore.

The announcement comes after a string of intensified anti‑Maoist operations in Jharkhand. Police have arrested Misir Besra, a Politburo member, who has a ₹2 crore bounty, and killed central committee members Patiram Majhi and Lalchand Hembram. Three dozen Maoists were also neutralised, and several mass surrenders followed. West Singhbhum was declared Maoist‑free in August, a milestone in the state's counter‑insurgency campaign.

Deputy Police Superintendent Dayanand Kumar said posters of the six Maoists have been posted at 25 locations across East Singhbhum. “People have been requested to share any information about these Maoists with the assurance of keeping the names of the informants secret,” he told reporters. Kumar added that the men have gone underground and that no over‑ground activities have been observed during the intensive searches and patrols that have lasted over a month.

Search efforts involve police from both West Bengal and Jharkhand, as well as central paramilitary forces. “The anti‑Maoist operations will continue until all of them are captured or eliminated,” Kumar said. An intelligence tip placed the six men last in Basadera on August 19, prompting a joint operation that failed to trace them. Villages such as Gurjhor, Mirgitand, and Kasidih were questioned in the quest for Asim Mondal’s whereabouts. A search in the Dalma Hills, covering an area of 40‑55 km, is also underway.

According to Jharkhand Police spokesperson Narendra Kumar Singh, only 18 Naxals remain at large, including Asim Mondal. From January to August, police have arrested 113 Maoists, 50 have surrendered, and 22 have been killed. Seizures during the period include 111 weapons, 9,904 rounds of live ammunition, and ₹6 lakh in cash.

On a national level, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament in March that the March 31 deadline for ending left‑wing extremism across India had been met. He cited figures of 4,839 Maoists surrendering, 706 killed, and 2,218 arrested and jailed over the past three years of heightened anti‑Maoist operations.

The continued focus on locating Asim Mondal and his associates underscores the government's commitment to eradicating Maoist influence in the eastern states. Police remain vigilant, with operations expected to persist until the last Maoists are either captured or neutralised.

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