Ranchi: Asim Mandal alias Akash, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) carrying a combined bounty of Rs 2.20 crore in Jharkhand and Odisha, has surrendered in West Bengal, officials said on Thursday.
The Jharkhand government had announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for his arrest, while the Odisha government had placed a bounty of Rs 1.20 crore on him.
Mandal had been actively involved in Maoist operations in Jharkhand’s Kolhan and Saranda regions for several years. Jharkhand Police officials have confirmed his surrender.
A resident of Uttar Phulchuk village under Chandrakona police station limits in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, Mandal was known within the organisation by several aliases, including Akash, Timir, Manoj, Deepak and Rakesh.
Security agencies’ records show that nearly 55 serious criminal cases are registered against him across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Several of these cases relate to attacks on security forces and armed encounters in Jharkhand.
Among them is the March 1, 2026 encounter at Marangponga in Chaibasa’s Chotanagra police station area, in which two security personnel, including an Assistant Commandant of the 209 CoBRA battalion, were injured.
In another incident on April 12, 2025, a Jharkhand Jaguar jawan was killed during an encounter at Radhapora under Jaraikela police station limits in Chaibasa.
On January 11, 2023, nine personnel of the 209 CoBRA battalion were injured in an IED blast and subsequent exchange of fire in the Tumbahaka forest under Tonto police station limits.
Earlier, a security personnel was killed in an attack in Jonwa under Karaikela police station area on May 31, 2020, while another was killed in an encounter at Jhati Pahari in East Singhbhum district’s MGM police station area on July 11, 2018.
Following his surrender, security agencies are interrogating Mandal to gather information about the Maoist network, hideouts and weapons stockpiles.
Officials expect that information provided by him could help trace hidden dumps of arms, ammunition and explosives in the Saranda forests and nearby areas.
(IANS)
