Top Naxal Commander Brijesh Ganjhu Killed in Varanasi Encounter

On a quiet Sunday morning in Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh Anti‑Terrorism Squad (ATS) finally cornered a man they had been hunting for years – Brijesh Ganjhu, also known as Gopal Singh Bhokta. The senior Naxal commander, who headed the Jharkhand‑based Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), was shot dead after a brief but fierce exchange of fire.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Vipin Rai, the operation began after an informant tipped off the team about Ganjhu’s route. The outlaw, riding a motorcycle with an associate, was travelling from Tengra Mor towards Mughalsarai via Ramnagar. When officers tried to intercept him, Ganjhu leapt off the bike and opened fire. The ensuing cross‑fire left him mortally wounded.

Rai said that both he and Head Constable Nitendra Krishna were hit in their bullet‑proof jackets, but escaped unharmed. Ganjhu was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors later confirmed his death.

Ganjhu was no ordinary criminal. Over the past three decades he accumulated a staggering list of charges – 39 cases across multiple Jharkhand police stations, ranging from murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and extortion to arms offences, explosives possession and violations of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The earliest docket dates back to 1996, with subsequent filings in 1998, 2001, 2018 and even as recent as 2025.

His alleged crimes spanned districts such as Simaria, Tandwa, Lawalong, Sadar, Piparwar, Pathalgadda, Mayurhand, Gidhaur, Hunterganj and Vashishthnagar. In many of these cases, the charges also invoked the Criminal Law Amendment Act and the Arms Act. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had him on its radar too, and the Jharkhand government had announced a Rs 25 lakh reward, while the NIA added another Rs 5 lakh – a total bounty of Rs 30 lakh.

Ganjhu’s many aliases – Dularchand Ganjhu, Sardar, Ranjan Ji and Phulchand Ganjhu – reflected the murky world he inhabited. He hailed from Lutu Sohavan village in the Chatra district’s Lawalong police‑station area. Over the years, the TPC, often described as a splinter group of the larger Maoist movement, had been linked to several violent incidents in Jharkhand’s coal‑rich belt.

“We received the information from the IG (STF) that Brijesh Ganjhu was neutralised in an encounter in Varanasi this morning,” said Narendra Singh, IG (Operations) and spokesperson for Jharkhand Police. He added that senior officials were already on their way to the site to take stock of the situation.

The encounter, which unfolded in the Lanka Maidan area under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar police station, marks a significant blow to the TPC’s leadership. While the ATS had been tracking Ganjhu’s movements for some time, it was the informant’s tip that finally allowed them to lay a trap.

Local residents, who heard the gunshots echo through the early‑hour streets, were left shaken but also relieved that a figure linked to so many violent crimes was no longer at large. The police have said they will continue to monitor any residual activity of the TPC, but for now, the chapter on Brijesh Ganjhu seems to have come to an abrupt, violent end.