Maoist Leader Arrested in Maharashtra, Arms Recovered in Jharkhand

Palamu, November 10 (Daily Kiran) : Police in Palamu, Jharkhand, have recovered an INSAS rifle and a large cache of ammunition following the arrest of Maoist commander Sanjay Yadav, also known as Godaram. Yadav was apprehended two days ago by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in Thane. After questioning, he was handed over to the Palamu police.

Yadav is a member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and has a bounty of ₹13 lakh on his head—₹10 lakh in Jharkhand and ₹3 lakh in Bihar. He is wanted in a total of 53 cases across both states, including 23 in Palamu, 20 in Aurangabad, and 10 in Gaya, with charges ranging from murder and assault on police to extortion and arson.

According to police records, Yadav has been implicated in several significant Maoist incidents. He was named in the April 2019 bombing of a BJP election office in the Heera Complex at the Harihar Ganj market, as well as in the arson of construction equipment near the Batane River. He is also linked to a shooting incident in Pipra Bazaar in November 2019, which resulted in the deaths of JMM block president Mohan Kumar Gupta and civilian Suraj Kumar Soni, with two others injured.

In August 2023, Yadav was accused of taking hostages among workers on the Mahudand-Kala Pahar road project and setting fire to multiple vehicles and machinery, including three dump trucks and a grader. Furthermore, he has been implicated in extortion from crusher and brick kiln operators and in the destruction of vehicles used in road construction.

The police noted that in July 2023, bombs were planted under a bridge near Harna village, targeting law enforcement. In February 2025, an IED weighing around 8 to 9 kilograms was discovered during a search operation in the Dudhya forest of Hussaainabad. Additionally, a police-Maoist encounter occurred in the Barwahi forest area of the Pandu police station in May 2025, further linking Yadav to ongoing criminal activities.