Brijesh Ganjhu encounter: Ex-MLA brother demands CBI probe, calls it fake
Synopsis
The brother of slain TSPC chief Brijesh Ganjhu is calling the Varanasi encounter a staged killing, alleging the Maoist leader was lifted from Jharkhand and transported to UP before being eliminated. With a ₹30 lakh combined bounty on his head and a CBI probe demand now directed at CM Hemant Soren, the case threatens to become a flashpoint between Jharkhand's government and its security establishment.
Key Takeaways
TSPC chief Brijesh Ganjhu was killed in a police encounter in Varanasi's Ramnagar area on Sunday morning by the Uttar Pradesh STF .
His brother, former Simaria MLA Ganesh Ganjhu , has called the encounter fake and demanded a CBI probe .
Ganesh Ganjhu alleges Brijesh was first picked up from Chatra district, Jharkhand , and then taken to UP as part of a conspiracy.
Brijesh Ganjhu carried a combined reward of ₹30 lakh — ₹25 lakh from the Jharkhand government and ₹5 lakh from the NIA .
The UP STF maintains Brijesh fired first; he succumbed to retaliatory fire at a hospital.
The former MLA has warned of a phased agitation if CM Hemant Soren does not order an independent investigation.
Former Jharkhand legislator Ganesh Ganjhu on Monday, 21 September 2026, publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding the killing of Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) chief Brijesh Ganjhu in a police encounter in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, alleging the operation was staged and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The slain Maoist leader, also known as Gopal Singh Bhokta, was killed by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in the Ramnagar area of Varanasi on Sunday morning.
The Allegations
Ganesh Ganjhu, a former member of the legislative assembly from Simaria constituency in Jharkhand, claimed that his brother was first picked up from Chatra district in Jharkhand and subsequently transported to Uttar Pradesh, where he was allegedly killed as part of a conspiracy. He urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order an impartial inquiry into the death.
The former legislator raised a pointed question about the police account of the encounter. 'If he was riding the motorcycle, how could he fire from two pistols simultaneously?' he asked reporters, casting doubt on the official version that Brijesh opened fire on security personnel while intercepted on a motorcycle in Ramnagar.
Police Version of the Encounter
The Uttar Pradesh STF has maintained that Brijesh Ganjhu fired at the team during the operation and was injured in retaliatory action. He later succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead by doctors at a hospital. According to authorities, the slain extremist carried a reward of ₹25 lakh from the Jharkhand government and an additional ₹5 lakh from the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The body of the slain leader was brought back to his native village, Luttu Sohawan, under Lawalong police station limits in Chatra district on Monday.
Serious Allegations Against Jharkhand Police
Ganesh Ganjhu levelled additional allegations against the Jharkhand Police, claiming that his brother had been used in anti-Maoist operations before being eliminated. He warned of a phased agitation if the state government failed to respond to the demand for an independent investigation.
Notably, the former MLA also described his brother as an active participant in social welfare work. He said Brijesh had served as an elected panchayat representative since 2010, had worked to support underprivileged families, and had reportedly established the Gopal Singh Bhokta Inter College in Lawalong.
Broader Context on Naxal Operations
Ganesh Ganjhu argued that countering Naxalism requires addressing underlying socio-economic causes rather than relying solely on security operations — a position echoed by civil society observers and some opposition politicians for years. This incident comes amid a sustained state and central push to neutralise top Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) leadership across the Jharkhand-UP corridor, a strategy that critics argue risks producing contested encounter claims. How the Jharkhand government responds to the CBI demand will be closely watched.
Point of View
And the Brijesh Ganjhu case is no exception. The specific allegation — that the target was lifted from Jharkhand and transported across state lines before being killed — is a pattern that has surfaced in earlier LWE encounter controversies and is precisely the kind of claim that makes CBI oversight credible rather than merely political. What distinguishes this case is that the allegation comes from a former elected legislator who is also a family member, lending it standing that courts and commissions are unlikely to dismiss. If the Jharkhand government stonewalls, it risks deepening the narrative that security operations in tribal belts operate without accountability — a perception that historically benefits recruitment for the very groups being suppressed.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Brijesh Ganjhu and why was he wanted?
Brijesh Ganjhu, also known as Gopal Singh Bhokta, was the chief of the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a Maoist splinter group active in Jharkhand. He carried a combined reward of ₹30 lakh — ₹25 lakh from the Jharkhand government and ₹5 lakh from the NIA — making him one of the more high-value targets in the state's anti-Naxal operations.
What does Ganesh Ganjhu allege about the encounter?
Ganesh Ganjhu, former MLA from Simaria and Brijesh's brother, alleges that Brijesh was picked up from Chatra district in Jharkhand and transported to Uttar Pradesh, where he was killed as part of a conspiracy rather than a genuine encounter. He specifically questioned how Brijesh could have fired two pistols simultaneously while riding a motorcycle, as claimed by the UP STF.
What has the Uttar Pradesh STF said about the killing?
The UP STF has maintained that Brijesh Ganjhu opened fire on security personnel when intercepted in Varanasi's Ramnagar area on Sunday morning. He was injured in retaliatory action and later declared dead at a hospital.
What action is being sought from the Jharkhand government?
Ganesh Ganjhu has urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order an impartial CBI probe into the circumstances of his brother's death. He has also warned of a phased agitation if the government does not act on the demand.
Why do encounter allegations in LWE cases matter?
Encounter killings in Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas are subject to Supreme Court guidelines requiring mandatory magisterial inquiries. When allegations of fake encounters arise — especially from elected representatives — they trigger scrutiny over the legality of operations and can affect trust between tribal communities and the state, which critics argue is already fragile in regions like Chatra.
