A major development has emerged from the anti-Maoist operations as a top commander of the outlawed outfit has decided to lay down arms. Asim Mandal, alias Akash, who served as a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist), surrendered before the police in West Bengal. The police headquarters in Jharkhand has officially verified his surrender, marking a significant milestone in ongoing security operations.
According to official records, Asim Mandal carried a combined bounty of 2.20 crore rupees announced by the governments of Jharkhand and Odisha. The Jharkhand government had placed a reward of one crore rupees on his capture, while the neighboring Odisha government had announced a bounty of 1.20 crore rupees. Security forces had been hunting for this high-ranking operative for well over a decade.
Background and origins in West Midnapore
Available details indicate that Asim Mandal hails from Chandrakona in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal. He became associated with the Maoist network during his college years and remained deeply entrenched in extremist activities for a prolonged period. From the year 2011 onwards, he took charge of leading the organization's operational activities within West Bengal.
Reports suggest that a combination of worsening health and relentless pressure from security forces drove him to abandon the forested hideouts. Prior to presenting himself before law enforcement, he formally dissolved his armed squad. His decision to surrender brings an end to a long chapter of underground insurgency.
Significance of the surrender for security agencies
Intelligence and security agencies view Asim Mandal's surrender as a crucial breakthrough. Given his position at the apex level of the organization, his surrender is expected to yield vital intelligence regarding the underground network, operational strategies, and logistics of the banned outfit. This event is considered a major turning point for curbing Maoist influence across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
Security forces have kept a constant vigil on extremist movements across these border tracts. Authorities noted that physical ailments compounded by aggressive counter-insurgency operations left the veteran commander with very few alternatives to staying isolated in the deep forests.
Early association during college days
Investigators note that Asim Mandal's journey into insurgency began during his college days in the 1980s, when he first gravitated toward radical movements. Following the death of senior Maoist leader Kishenji in an encounter in 2011, Akash was entrusted with greater responsibilities and appointed as the state secretary for West Bengal.
Until 2018, he played a central role in consolidating the outfit's presence across regions stretching from East Singhbhum to the dense Saranda forests of West Singhbhum and the Bengal-Jharkhand border areas. Investigative agencies have linked his squad to several high-profile violent incidents over the years, including the assassination of then-Member of Parliament Sunil Mahato in Jamshedpur.
