Kolkata, 23 October (H.S.) : Dealing a significant blow to Left-wing extremism, a high-profile Maoist couple, Mangal and Malati, who had been operating in the dense Saranda forests of Jharkhand for years, surrendered at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar on Friday. The couple laid down their arms, handing over an AK-47 and an INSAS rifle to Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajoy Nanda during the morning hours. Both extremists were highly sought after by law enforcement, carrying substantial bounties announced by the Jharkhand Police, with a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Mangal's head and Rs 2 lakh on Malati's.

Originally hailing from West Bengal, Mangal is a resident of Salboni in the Paschim Medinipur district, while Malati belongs to Gopiballavpur in Jhargram. According to police records, Mangal joined the Maoist ranks in 2010 and was actively associated with the 'Jansadharan Committee' (PCPA) in Salboni during that period. Police Commissioner Nanda revealed that the surrendered leader was known to be a close confidant of the top Maoist commander, Kishenji. Following 2011-12, Mangal shifted his operational base to Jharkhand, where he orchestrated various extremist activities initially in the Dalma region before moving to Saranda. Malati subsequently left Jhargram to join him in the dense Saranda terrain.

Senior police officials noted that escalating anti-Maoist operations and mounting pressure from security forces had made survival increasingly difficult for the rebels in the Saranda region. Consequently, in 2026, approximately 13 Maoists with ties to Bengal began fleeing the area. While several have been apprehended across different locations—including three recent arrests in Jharkhand—Mangal alone faces six to seven pending criminal cases in the neighboring state. Expressing his disillusionment with the insurgency, Mangal stated that bringing about societal change through armed struggle is impossible. He affirmed their collective decision to abandon the path of violence, surrender before the state government, and return to the mainstream society.

This latest development marks a continuation of successful anti-Maoist operations resulting in a steady stream of surrenders and arrests in Kolkata over recent months. Earlier this year in June, veteran Maoist leader Pushpa, alias Shakuntala, who had been an active part of the extremist movement since 2001, surrendered before the Kolkata Police. Just a month prior to that, the city police achieved a major breakthrough by arresting senior Jharkhand-based Maoist leader Shraddha Biswas, alias Bela, from the North Cossipore area. The surrender of heavily armed and experienced operatives like Mangal and Malati is being viewed as yet another major strategic victory for the law enforcement agencies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh