In a significant blow to Maoist insurgency, security forces gunned down Amit Hasda, alias Aaptan, a wanted Maoist leader carrying a ₹10 lakh reward, in a fierce encounter in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa on September 7, 2025. The operation, conducted in the dense Saranda forest under Goilkera police station in West Singhbhum district, marks a critical success in the ongoing fight against Maoist rebels in the region, according to Superintendent of Police Paras Rana.

The clash erupted when security forces, acting on intelligence inputs, engaged Hasda and his group in the forested area. Following the encounter, authorities recovered an SLR rifle, explosives, and other weapons from the site. In the aftermath, an extensive search operation was launched across the Saranda forest to locate additional Maoist hideouts, with investigations ongoing to uncover further details.

This development comes just days after a deadly encounter on September 3 in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, where two policemen, Santan Kumar and Sunil Ram, were killed, and another was critically injured. The earlier gunbattle, which occurred in the Kedal forest under Manatu police station between 1:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., targeted Shashikant Ganjhu, a dreaded zonal commander of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), who also carries a ₹10 lakh bounty. Intelligence had suggested Ganjhu might visit his native village during the Karma festival, prompting the operation.

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During the Palamu encounter, Ganjhu and his armed cadre opened indiscriminate fire on the police team, leading to a heavy exchange of gunfire. Three officers were injured and rushed to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital in Daltonganj, where Kumar and Ram, one of whom served as the bodyguard of Palamu’s Additional Superintendent of Police, were declared dead.

The back-to-back encounters underscore the heightened efforts by Jharkhand’s security forces to dismantle Maoist networks in the state’s forested regions. Operations to track down Ganjhu and his associates are ongoing, with authorities intensifying their presence in Palamu and surrounding areas. The elimination of Hasda, a key figure in the Maoist insurgency, is expected to disrupt the group’s activities, though officials remain vigilant as they pursue remaining members of the outlawed organization.

As investigations continue, the twin operations highlight the challenges and dangers faced by security personnel in tackling insurgency in Jharkhand’s rugged terrain. The state government and police are under pressure to sustain these efforts while ensuring the safety of their forces and civilians in the region.

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