Maoist commander Ravindra Ganjhu, ₹20 lakh bounty, arrested in Jharkhand's Latehar
Synopsis
A CPI-Maoist regional commander with a ₹20 lakh combined bounty — accused in 55 criminal cases including a 2019 ambush that killed four police personnel — has been arrested near his own native village in Jharkhand's Latehar. The arrest exposes the NIA's long-running probe into Maoist funding through extortion and a sealed property allegedly built on insurgent proceeds.
Key Takeaways
Ravindra Ganjhu , CPI-Maoist regional commander, arrested in Latehar, Jharkhand on 13 July by police and CRPF .
Combined reward on him: ₹15 lakh by Jharkhand Police and ₹5 lakh by the NIA , totalling ₹20 lakh .
Accused in approximately 55 cases including murder, extortion, bomb attacks, and illegal arms offences.
Alleged key conspirator in the 22 November 2019 Chandwa ambush that killed four police personnel , carried out on the day Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting the state.
The NIA had sealed his residence at Banjhitola, Hesla village , alleging it was built from extortion proceeds.
Interrogation underway; agencies expect leads on Maoist arms caches, funding networks, and active cadres.
Ravindra Ganjhu, a regional commander of the banned CPI-Maoist organisation carrying a combined reward of ₹20 lakh, was arrested by joint teams of the Jharkhand Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Latehar district on Monday, 13 July, police officials said. The arrest is being described by security agencies as a significant breakthrough in the ongoing campaign against Maoist insurgency in the state.
Where and How He Was Caught
Ganjhu was apprehended near his native village, Hesla, under the Chandwa police station limits in Latehar. He was also known by the aliases Mukesh Ganjhu and Surendra Ganjhu. The Jharkhand Police had announced a bounty of ₹15 lakh on him, while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had placed an additional reward of ₹5 lakh, bringing the total to ₹20 lakh.
Scale of Criminal Record
Police records show Ganjhu is accused in approximately 55 cases registered across multiple police stations in Jharkhand. The charges span murder, Maoist violence, extortion, bomb attacks, and offences related to illegal arms. Investigators consider him a key conspirator behind the Maoist ambush on a police patrol vehicle near Lukuiya Mor in Chandwa on 22 November 2019, in which four police personnel were killed.
Notably, according to probe agencies, the attack was carried out on the same day that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting Jharkhand. Police allege that Ganjhu planned the operation and paid reconnaissance members who facilitated the assault.
NIA Angle and Property Seizure
Ganjhu has also been wanted in several cases under NIA investigation. These include matters linked to CPI-Maoist Central Committee member Sudhakaran — who reportedly carries a bounty running into crores of rupees — the Chandwa police attack case, and the recovery of weapons during 'Operation Double Bull' conducted in the Bulbul forest along the Latehar-Lohardaga border in 2022. The NIA had already sealed Ganjhu's residence at Banjhitola in Hesla village, alleging the property was constructed using proceeds from extortion and illegal levies collected by the Maoist network.
What Investigators Expect Next
Ganjhu is currently under interrogation. Security agencies believe his questioning will yield critical intelligence on the Maoist organisation's network, arms caches, funding channels, and the movements of other active cadres. This comes amid a sustained counter-insurgency push by the Centre and Jharkhand government that has seen several high-value Maoist arrests and surrenders over the past two years.
Point of View
Relying on local networks for cover. The NIA's pre-emptive sealing of his property signals a sharper focus on financial disruption — cutting off the extortion pipelines that fund the movement — rather than purely tactical arrests. With Ganjhu linked to a 2019 attack timed to coincide with a Home Minister's visit, his interrogation carries strategic weight beyond the criminal charges. The real test will be whether intelligence extracted now translates into actionable leads against the Central Committee tier, which has so far remained largely insulated from ground-level arrests in Jharkhand.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ravindra Ganjhu and why was he wanted?
Ravindra Ganjhu is a regional commander of the banned CPI-Maoist organisation, wanted in approximately 55 criminal cases in Jharkhand including murder, extortion, bomb attacks, and illegal arms offences. He carried a combined bounty of ₹20 lakh — ₹15 lakh from the Jharkhand Police and ₹5 lakh from the NIA.
Where and when was Ravindra Ganjhu arrested?
He was arrested on 13 July near his native village, Hesla, under the Chandwa police station area in Latehar district, Jharkhand, by a joint team of the Jharkhand Police and the CRPF.
What is the connection to the 2019 Chandwa police attack?
Investigators allege that Ganjhu was the key planner behind a Maoist ambush on a police patrol vehicle near Lukuiya Mor in Chandwa on 22 November 2019, in which four police personnel were killed. According to probe agencies, the attack occurred on the same day Union Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting Jharkhand, and Ganjhu allegedly paid reconnaissance members who facilitated the assault.
What is the NIA's role in this case?
The NIA had placed a ₹5 lakh bounty on Ganjhu and is probing several cases in which he is a suspect, including matters linked to CPI-Maoist Central Committee member Sudhakaran, the Chandwa police attack, and weapons recovered during 'Operation Double Bull' in 2022. The NIA had also sealed his residence at Banjhitola, Hesla village, alleging it was built using extortion proceeds.
What do security agencies expect from his interrogation?
Agencies believe Ganjhu's questioning will yield critical intelligence on the Maoist network's structure, arms caches, funding channels, and the whereabouts of other active cadres currently operating in Jharkhand.
