Top Maoist Leader Arrested in West Bengal

On September 17, 2026, the Special Task Force of West Bengal Police arrested Asim Mandal, a senior Maoist leader known by the alias Akash, from Patashpur in Purba Medinipur district. The arrest marks a significant development in the fight against Left-wing extremism in eastern India. Mandal, 64, is a Central Committee Member and Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) West Bengal State Committee-I. He had been evading law enforcement for over 15 years, moving through interstate forest belts. A combined bounty of Rs 2.20 crore was declared on his head, with Rs 1 crore from the Jharkhand government and Rs 1.20 crore from the Odisha government. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari commended the police force, stating that the arrest demonstrates the state's zero-tolerance policy towards extremist ideology. "Evading law enforcement for more than 15 years across interstate forest belts, his apprehension on the basis of sharp technical intelligence demonstrates the exceptional operational competence of our police force," Adhikari said in a social media post. He added that the government will not tolerate any attempt to revive or expand Maoist networks in the state.