In what could be perceived as a major achievement for the Jharkhand police on the eve of Republic Day, hardcore Maoist Mahashay Soren, alias Mahashay Baski, surrendered before the Deputy Commissioner, Dumka. Mahashay was the Naxalite from the banned outfit CPI-Maoist, who had gunned down Pakur SP, Amarjit Balihar, while he was returning from Dumka after attending an official meeting convened by the then DIG Priya Dubey.

“Under the Government rehabilitation plan, the surrendered Maoist has been handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh. After some more formalities, he will get an additional benefit of Rs 3 lakh,” said DIG, Raj Kumar Lakda.

A native of Shikari Pada in Santhal Parganas, Mahashay joined the CPI-Maoist in 2012. He was assigned the job to eliminate Pakur SP who had unleashed a crackdown on the rebels in the region.

On July 2, 2013, Mahashay and his team members fired nearly a hundred rounds at the SP and his escort party, who were caught unawares in the dense forest area between Pakur and Dumka. Balihar, 45, could not get enough time to retaliate the Naxal attack. While the SP and four others died on the spot, the sixth cop succumbed to his injuries at the Dumka hospital.

One too many

This was the first major Naxal attack in the Santhal Parganas region of Jharkhand, which comprises mostly poor tribals. But in south Jharkhand, the Naxalites had earlier created havoc when they killed CPI-ML legislator Mahendra Singh at Giridih in 2005, followed by the killing of JMM MP from Jamshedpur, Sunil Mahto, in 2007. The same year, the Maoists also gunned down the son of former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi at Giridih, which shares a long jungle border with Bihar.