Misir Besra Arrested in Jharkhand After Two Decades

Exam-focused facts from the 31 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Misir Besra, the last remaining Central Committee and Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI (Maoist)), was arrested in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district.
He carried a reward of over ₹1 crore on information leading to his arrest.
Two of his associates, Gaurav Hasda and Mochu, were also arrested.
With Besra's arrest, no active Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) remains at large.
Besra had been among the few senior Maoist leaders who consistently refused to surrender.
His continued presence in the Saranda forests of West Singhbhum district was one reason the Union government classified it as a 'district of concern' for Left-Wing Extremism.
The Union home ministry is likely to review West Singhbhum's status as a district of concern following the arrest.