Senior Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias ‘Kishan da’ dies in custody in Ranchi

Senior CPI (Maoist) Politburo member Prashant Bose, alias Kishan Da, died at RIMS in Ranchi after his health deteriorated. The veteran Maoist leader, arrested in 2021 with a ₹1 crore bounty, was considered a key strategist of the insurgent outfit.

Ranchi: Banned CPI-Maoist’s senior Politburo member, Prashant Bose, alias ‘Kishan Da’, died at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi after his health deteriorated on Friday, officials said. He was over 80.

Bose, who was lodged in Seraikela Jail, complained of severe breathing difficulties early Friday morning. Around 6 a.m., he was rushed under tight security to the RIMS, where a team of doctors began treatment.

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However, his condition failed to improve, and he was declared dead at around 10 a.m. on Friday, officials said.

Given the sensitivity of the case, a magistrate has been deputed, and due legal procedures are being followed.

A native of West Bengal, Bose was among the most influential leaders of the Maoist movement and was widely regarded as second only to CPI-Maoist General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao.

He was a key member of the Central Committee and Politburo and also served as secretary of the outfit’s Eastern Regional Bureau.

Within Maoist circles, he was known by several aliases, including ‘Manish’ and ‘Buddha’.

Bose was arrested along with his wife, Sheela Marandi, on November 12, 2021, near Kandra Toll Bridge in Seraikela-Kharsawan district. A reward of Rs 1 crore had been announced for his capture at the time.

According to security agencies, he was involved in more than 200 Maoist-related incidents across several states, including Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Active for nearly four decades, he was considered a key strategist, a think tank and ideologue of the Maoists.

Since his arrest, Bose had been in judicial custody and was suffering from age-related ailments.

Following his death, security has been heightened in the region, and further legal formalities are being completed after the post-mortem examination.