RANCHI: Prashant Bose, a senior Politburo member of the banned CPI (Maoist), passed away on Friday at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi after a prolonged illness.
Prashant Bose and his wife were arrested in 2021, and they have been lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail since then.
Prashant Bose was brought to RIMS for treatment after his health deteriorated. He held one of the top positions within the organization.
Jail IG Sudarshan Mandal has confirmed the death of Prashant Bose. According to official sources, he breathed his last at around 4:00 AM.
A native of West Bengal, Bose, popularly known as ‘Kishan Da’, was among the most influential leaders in India’s Left-wing extremism movement.
He started his journey with the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI), where he rose to power. After the merger of MCCI with People’s War (PW) in 2004, he became a Politburo member of the unified CPI (Maoist).
He also served on the Central Committee and was considered the second-most powerful leader in the organisation after General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao.
Bose was arrested on November 12, 2021, in a joint operation by Jharkhand Police and central security agencies in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
He had been underground for decades and was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the country. At the time of his arrest, a reward of ₹1 crore had been announced for his capture.
Bose was considered a key ideologue and strategist within CPI (Maoist), with influence over operations across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and parts of Odisha.
He played a significant role in expanding the organisation’s network and maintaining its leadership structure over the years.