Four Maoists, including a key regional committee leader, were killed in a joint security operation in Jharkhand on Friday (April 17, 2026), the police said.

On Thursday (April 16, 2026), the Jharkhand Police and the 209 COBRA Battalion launched a search operation in the forest region between Hazaribagh and Chatra. “During the operation on Friday, at approximately 1 p.m., an exchange of fire took place between the security forces and a Maoist in the Khapiya area (under the Keredari police station limits). Following the encounter, a search was conducted, during which four bodies, four weapons, and various items of daily use were recovered,” said a senior official of the Jharkhand Police.

CPI (Maoist) regional committee member Shahdev Mahto is among the dead. As per the police, Mahto, a resident of Khuthan in Hazaribagh district, carried a reward of ₹15 lakh, and was involved in 41 cases.

The others are Ranjit Ganjhu, a zonal committee member, who carried a reward of ₹10 lakh and was involved in nine cases; Natasha, a sub-zonal committee member and resident of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, named in 17 cases; and Budhan Karmali, area commander, who carried a reward of ₹1 lakh and was involved in 10 cases. Both Ganjhu and Karmali were residents of Chatra. During the search operation, two AK-47 rifles and one Colt AR-15 rifle and INSAS rifle were recovered.

Renews appeal

The Jharkhand Police claimed that as a result of the operation, the Maoist squad active in the Parasnath-Lugujhumra (Hazaribagh-Chatra) border region had been neutralised.

The police have appealed to the remaining militants to surrender and avail themselves of the benefits offered under the Jharkhand government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.