Senior Maoist leader Ajay Mahto alias Tiger alias Basudev, who carried a state reward of ₹25 lakh, was arrested by security forces in Giridih, Jharkhand, on Friday, 17 July, in what officials are calling a significant breakthrough in the state's anti-Naxal campaign. Mahto, a member of the Special Area Committee (SAC) of the banned CPI (Maoist), had been a priority target for law enforcement for several years.

How the Arrest Was Made

Intelligence inputs indicated that Mahto had moved out of the Giridih forest into the plains. Acting swiftly on this information, a joint team comprising the Giridih Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the CoBRA battalion launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Harladih area. The operation resulted in Mahto's successful apprehension, and weapons along with ammunition were recovered from his possession.

A Wanted Man Across Four Districts

Police records show Mahto faces more than 100 criminal cases registered across Giridih, Bokaro, Dhanbad, and Hazaribagh districts. The charges span murder, ambushes on police and security forces, IED blasts, damage to public property, extortion, and expansion of the Maoist network. The Jharkhand government had already sanctioned his prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other serious legal provisions.

Key Links and Alleged Operations

A resident of Nawadih village under Pirtaand police station limits in Giridih district, Mahto is believed to have been a close associate of top Maoist leader Misir Besra, who carries a reward of ₹1 crore. Investigators allege he played a central role in sustaining Maoist activities across the Parasnath region and running an extortion network targeting road construction firms, crusher operators, and businesses in the coal belt areas of Giridih and Bokaro.

Notably, Mahto's name had also surfaced in the high-profile 2012 murder case of P.C. Sharma, then General Manager of the Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra Committee at Madhuban, in connection with which he had been absconding for years.

What Security Forces Expect Next

Security officials believe Mahto's arrest will deal a significant blow to Maoist operations in Jharkhand's Parasnath region. Police are currently interrogating him and expect to extract crucial intelligence on active network members, arms hideouts, and the broader organisational structure still operating in the area. This arrest comes amid sustained pressure on Maoist cadres across central India, where security forces have stepped up joint operations over the past year.