West Bengal Police arrested Asim Mandal, alias Akash, the last surviving central committee member of CPI (Maoist), from Polerhat on Kolkata’s eastern fringes Thursday afternoon.Mandal, 64, had evaded law enforcement for over 15 years across inter‑state forest belts. He faces 17 cases in Jharkhand and a dozen in West Bengal, and carried a Rs 1‑crore reward announced by Jharkhand Police.Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand confirmed that Mandal was part of the Misir Besra squad, which disintegrated after Besra’s arrest in Dhanbad in July. Police seized pen drives, cash, documents, and letters during the operation.Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the police’s “sharp technical intelligence and exceptional operational competence,” vowing that Bengal will not tolerate any revival of “Red Terror.” He declared: “No extremist ideology will be allowed to jeopardise the safety & security of the People and the development of our State.”Mandal’s arrest marks the end of CPI (Maoist) central leadership in India, following the deaths and captures of Kishenji, Misir Besra, and others.
15-Year Hunt Ends: Rs 1-Cr Reward Maoist Commander Asim Mandal Arrested in West Bengal
