SAA event in Jharkhand, Saranda Forest, West Singhbhum District area, India on Fri 17th April 2026

On April 17, two senior Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leaders, identified as Anuj Da alias Sahdev Mahato alias Subhash and his wife Natasha alias Maheshwari Hodi, were killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in the Saranda Forest area of West Singhbhum District in Jharkhand, reports Disha Daily. Anuj Da was a member of the Jharkhand Special Area Committee (JSAC), while Natasha held a similar rank within the outfit. The encounter occurred during ongoing operations targeting CPI-Maoist ‘Politburo’ member Misir Besra alias Sagar Da. According to SFs, Maoist cadres opened fire upon their arrival, prompting retaliatory action. The exchange of fire reportedly continued for several hours before subsiding. It remains unclear whether Misir Besra was present at the site. Anuj Da hailed from Kuthan village in Hazaribagh District of Jharkhand, while Natasha, a tribal recruit from Kosmi village in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra, had joined the CPI-Maoist in 2007 and later operated in Jharkhand. The incident marks the second such encounter in the region within a week.