A high-ranking insurgent commander from Jharkhand, Brajesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh, who operated as the supreme leader of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee, met his end during an early morning tactical confrontation with the anti-terror squad in Varanasi. The fugitive insurgent, who carried a collective reward of thirty lakh rupees on his head, was declared dead by physicians shortly after being transported to an emergency medical facility. He was also prominently positioned on the National Investigation Agency's most wanted roster due to his continuous subversive activities.
Tactical Operation Near Lanka Maidan in Varanasi
Acting on specific operational intelligence, security forces learned that the extremist chief, accompanied by a companion, was travelling on a two-wheeler from Tengra Mor toward Mughalsarai through the Ramnagar sector. In response, a tactical team led by Deputy Superintendent Vipin Rai and Inspector Bharat Bhushan Tiwari established an interception cordon near the Lanka ground. When officers moved to intercept the moving motorcycle, the insurgent dismounted rapidly and discharged rounds toward the squad.
The gunfire struck the protective body armor of Deputy Superintendent Vipin Rai and Head Constable Nitendra Krishna, saving both law enforcement officials from sustaining physical injury. The tactical team returned fire immediately in self-defense, neutralizing the shooter at the scene. He was immediately transported to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where medical staff confirmed that he had succumbed to gunshot wounds.
Extortion Network and Terror Funding Accusations
Brajesh Ganjhu belonged to Luttu Sohavan village situated under the Lawalong police jurisdiction in Jharkhand's Chatra district. Over the years, he constructed a sprawling extortion apparatus targeting business establishments and civil contractors operating within his sphere of influence. Given his extensive criminal footprint, the Jharkhand government placed a bounty of twenty-five lakh rupees on him, while the central investigative body NIA declared an additional reward of five lakh rupees. Roughly eight years earlier, authorities had also attached his ancestral real estate under formal legal warrants.
During 2018, the National Investigation Agency initiated a specialized inquiry into illegal financial conduits and organized terror funding linked to extremist factions in the eastern region. Ganjhu emerged as a primary figure in this operational investigation. The subsequent legal chargesheet submitted by the agency named seventeen accused individuals, including the TSPC commander, thereby formalizing his status as a priority fugitive across federal enforcement agencies.
Rivalry with Maoist Factions
The forested terrain of Jharkhand witnessed a protracted and violent power contest between Ganjhu's organization and the CPI Maoist. This armed struggle over dominance and regional control resulted in recurring skirmishes, which not only claimed the lives of rival cadres but also led to widespread collateral casualties among local villagers and ordinary citizens trapped between warring factions.
History of Violence and Targeted Killings
Official records connect Ganjhu's leadership to numerous lethal ambushes and retaliatory assassinations across Jharkhand. In one prominent incident, his armed group attacked an active patrol squad traversing between Lawalong and Kolkole, looting their operational weaponry and murdering two security personnel from BMP-16. In recent memory, on 2 February 2025, Bhuneshwar Sahu was murdered near the Lembua forest belt located in Tandwa.
Earlier, on 18 July 2018, rural employment contractor Nageshwar Ganjhu was fatally shot at Mermagada in Pathalgadda after refusing extortion demands, leaving two bystanders severely injured. Prior to that, on 28 November 2017, Pradeep Mahto of the JMMP was assassinated at Karmatand in the Piparwar area. Other historical incidents include the targeted fatal shooting of Badal Munda and Ashok Oraon at Kusumba in Katkamsandi on 2 April 2014, the bombing and burning of Maoist area commander Dharmendra Yadav's family property alongside the assault of three residents at Kusmahi in Hunterganj on 9 March 2012, and the murder of Raghunath Yadav alias Bihari Yadav at Dhobe village in Vashishtnagar on 7 November 2010.
