PATNA: With the surrender of Maoist leader Suresh Koda alias Mustakim, the Bihar Police has said Maoist activities in the state have been completely eradicated. Koda, who had allegedly been evading arrest for 25 years, was carrying a bounty of Rs 3 lakh and was facing about 60 cases. He surrendered before Special Task Force officials in Munger district on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media at the state police headquarters, Bihar Police Director General (Operations), STF, Kundan Krishnan said Koda was widely believed to be the last armed commander of Maoist squads.
Koda was a self-styled commander of the special area committee and a member of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Zonal Committee of the JB Zone of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). He also handed over two INSAS rifles, an AK-47, AK-56 assault rifles and 505 rounds of ammunition, he said.
Koda was reportedly involved in several violent incidents, including killings of BMP jawans, SSB personnel, chowkidars and local representatives such as panchayat members. He was also accused of setting fire to vehicles of construction companies and abducting labourers working for such firms in Jamui, Lakhisarai and Munger districts.
The Director General of Police said the surrender had a major impact on extremist activity in the Jamui-Banka zone, which includes Banka and Bhagalpur, as well as the Magadh and Madhya zones covering areas around Gaya, Aurangabad and Nawada. He stated that extremist activity in these regions was nearly over after Koda’s surrender. “This is a historic day. Bihar is now almost completely Maoist-free because none of the armed Maoist is present in Bihar as of now,” he claimed.
Police sources said that in 2013 as many as 22 districts in Bihar were affected by Naxal activity. This number later fell to 16 districts under Maoist influence and further reduced to eight districts by 2024.
DIG Munger Rakesh Kumar said the Maoist surrendered under the state government’s rehabilitation policy and that coordinated efforts by the STF, district administration, police and security forces helped make the surrender possible.
“The government will give Rs 5 lakh as surrender policy, Rs 10,000 for thirty-six months and Rs 71,515 for arms and ammunition,” he added.
Earlier, on December 12, 2025, three active members of the armed Maoist group — Narayan Koda, Bahadur Koda and Bino Koda — surrendered before police in Munger district. They handed over two rifles, four SLR rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition and 10 walkie-talkies.
Officials said that during 2025, a total of 220 Maoists were arrested across the state. Security forces also seized 37 weapons, 2,166 live cartridges, 168 detonators and 135 other explosive materials during operations against extremist groups.