Maoist Leader Akash on Radar After Arms Recovery in Bengal

The recovery of a cache of arms has triggered a fresh probe into the movements and old network of wanted Maoist leader Asim Mondal alias Akash, with investigators now examining possible links stretching from Bankura and Purulia to the forests of Jharkhand. The development comes as security forces continue their search for the Maoist leader, who carries a bounty of ₹1 crore.

The latest breakthrough came after two INSAS rifles, 103 rounds of ammunition and six empty magazines were recovered from the Rolahatu hills. The discovery has prompted investigators to revisit the possible location of weapons previously associated with Akash’s old squad and to examine whether members of the network continued to operate across the Bengal-Jharkhand border.

However, police have not established that the two recovered INSAS rifles belonged directly to Akash. The connection is currently part of the investigation, making it important to distinguish between the recovery of the weapons and the allegation that they were once used by his squad. Investigators are now trying to establish where the weapons came from and whether they were moved when security operations intensified in the region.

The investigation has gained further momentum following the surrender of three Maoists before Bankura district police on September 10. They include Ramprasad Mardi alias Sachin, his wife Mita alias Nayantara and Bulu alias Gauri. Ramprasad reportedly surrendered an AK-47 along with himself. According to reports based on Jharkhand Police inputs, the three had been associated with Akash and were in the Dalma area before their surrender.

Their interrogation could provide investigators with information about Akash’s recent movements and the remnants of his old squad. Of the six Maoists previously identified as being associated with the group, the latest developments suggest that several have now surrendered, leaving investigators focused on those who may still be active or unaccounted for.

Akash, whose real name is Asim Mondal, is regarded by security agencies as one of the prominent Maoist leaders still at large in the region. East Singhbhum Police recently put up posters featuring six wanted Maoists along the Bengal-Jharkhand border, with a ₹1 crore reward announced for information leading to Akash’s capture. The posters were displayed across areas including Galudih and Ghatsila as authorities intensified their efforts to track the group.

The geography of the investigation is also significant. Security agencies have been keeping watch over the forest belt running from Jharkhand’s Saranda and Dalma areas towards Purulia and Bankura, as the Maoist network has historically operated across state boundaries. In August, West Bengal and Jharkhand security forces launched a joint operation in the Bandwan forests of Purulia to search for Akash and members of his squad. The operation was later suspended temporarily because of heavy monsoon rainfall, with intelligence inputs suggesting that the group had been shifting between forest areas on either side of the border.

The latest arms recovery has therefore added another layer to an already extensive manhunt. Investigators are examining whether the weapons were part of an old Maoist dump, whether they had been moved from one location to another during security operations and whether any remnants of Akash’s former network are still using the forest routes connecting Bengal and Jharkhand.

The investigation is also unfolding against the backdrop of a weakening Maoist network in the region. The surrender of members associated with Akash’s group is being closely watched by security agencies because their statements could potentially provide information about the organisation’s remaining structure, communication channels and movement patterns.

For now, however, Akash remains at large, and the precise connection between him, his former squad and the weapons recovered at Rolahatu has not been conclusively established. The focus of investigators is therefore on piecing together several strands; the arms recovery, information obtained from surrendered cadres and intelligence inputs about movement along the Bengal-Jharkhand forest belt.

As security forces continue monitoring the Bankura-Purulia-Jharkhand corridor, the latest developments suggest that the hunt for Akash is increasingly being shaped by information emerging from within the Maoist network itself.