SAA event in West Bengal, Bankura District area, India on Wed 23rd September 2026

On September 23, three senior Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) ‘commanders’, including two women, surrendered before Police in Bankura District, West Bengal, under the State’s surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, reports The Telegraph, The Times of India, ETV Bharat, SocialNews.XYZ and Hindustan Times. Jaba Mahato alias Bulu alias Gori and Nayantara Sahu alias Mita alias Jhuma were ‘zonal committee members (ZCMs)’, while Ramprasad Mandi alias Mahadev alias Sachin was a ‘regional committee member (RCM)’ of the Bengal-Jharkhand-Odisha region. The trio, active for nearly two decades, collectively faced more than 75 criminal cases, with Police sources in some reports putting the figure at over 80. The cases include murder and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act and Explosives Act. They operated across Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia and Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal and East Singhbhum in Jharkhand. The cadres handed over one AK-47 and two Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) assault rifles, 10 magazines and 154 rounds of live ammunition. Police said the firearms had earlier been looted from Security Forces (SFs). The surrender followed intensified anti-Maoist operations in the Bengal-Jharkhand Forest belt. West Zone Additional Director General (ADG) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Anand Kumar and Bankura Superintendent of Police (SP) P.V.G. Satish were present during the surrender.