Top Naxal commander Brijesh Ganjhu killed in encounter in Varanasi

Brijesh Ganjhu, senior Naxal leader and chief of the banned TPC outfit, was killed in an encounter with the UP ATS in Varanasi. Carrying a Rs 30 lakh reward, he was wanted in 39 cases of murder, extortion, and under UAPA provisions.

Senior Naxal leader and chief of banned Jharkhand-based outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, who was wanted in 39 cases involving charges of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, criminal conspiracy, arms offences and provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh ATS in Varanasi on Sunday morning, police said.

Wanted in 39 Cases Across Jharkhand

Ganjhu, who carried a reward of Rs 30 lakh, was named as an accused in cases registered across several police stations in Jharkhand, including Simaria, Tandwa, Lawalong, Sadar, Piparwar, Pathalgadda, Mayurhand, Gidhaur, Hunterganj and Vashishthnagar police stations, according to police records.

The cases against him included charges under sections related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, rioting, assault on public servants, extortion, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, damage to public property, possession and use of illegal arms, explosives and offences under anti-terror laws.

Ganjhu, also known by aliases Dularchand Ganjhu, Sardar, Ranjan Ji and Phulchand Ganjhu, was a resident of Lutu Sohavan village under Lawalong police station area of Chatra district in Jharkhand.

According to police records, the earliest cases against him date back to 1996, including a Simaria Police Station Case registered under sections 147, 148, 149, 353, 364 and 302 of the IPC, along with Section 27 of the Arms Act and Section 17(1)(2) of the Criminal Law Amendment (CLA) Act.

Another Simaria Police Station case registered in 1996 involved charges under sections related to rioting, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder, along with Arms Act and CLA Act provisions.

Police records also show cases against him in 1998 under Simaria Police Station, including charges related to assault on public servants, grievous hurt, rioting, arson, use of explosives, Arms Act and CLA Act provisions.

In 2001, cases were registered against him at Simaria Police Station under sections related to rioting, unlawful assembly, sedition and CLA Act provisions.

Several cases registered later included serious charges. In the Simaria Police Station Case, he was booked under sections related to rioting, attempt to murder, assault on public servants, Arms Act, CLA Act and UAPA provisions.

In the Simaria Police Station Case dated 2018, he faced charges under sections related to extortion, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, offences under UAPA and CLA Act.

Cases registered at Tandwa Police Station included charges under sections related to extortion, criminal conspiracy, Arms Act, CLA Act and UAPA. In Tandwa Police Station Case No. 02/16, he was booked under sections 414, 384, 386, 387 and 120B of the IPC, sections 25(1-B)a, 26 and 35 of the Arms Act, and Section 17(1)(2) of the CLA Act. Later, UAPA sections 16, 17, 20 and 23 were added during investigation.

Other Tandwa cases included charges related to attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, assault, possession of illegal weapons, extortion and intimidation.

A 2025 case registered at Tandwa Police Station included sections 103(1), 140(1), 61(2), 238 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with CLA Act provisions.

Cases registered at Lawalong Police Station included charges under sections related to kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, extortion, Arms Act, CLA Act and UAPA.

A Mayurhand Police Station case included charges related to rioting, unlawful assembly, assault, theft, extortion and UAPA provisions.

Police records further showed that cases at Pathalgadda and Piparwar police stations involved charges related to murder, attempt to murder, robbery, extortion, criminal conspiracy, Arms Act, CLA Act and UAPA provisions.

Ganjhu was also wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several cases, police said. A reward of Rs 25 lakh had been announced by the Jharkhand government and Rs 5 lakh by the NIA for information leading to his arrest.

The Encounter in Varanasi

"We have received information from the IG (STF) that Brijesh Ganjhu, alias Gopal Singh, was neutralized in an encounter in Varanasi this morning," Narendra Singh, IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson, said.

According to Vipin Rai, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), UP ATS, the encounter took place in the early hours of Sunday when Ganjhu, along with an associate, was travelling on a motorcycle from Tengra Mor towards Mughalsarai via Ramnagar in Varanasi.

"Acting on an informant's tip-off, police attempted to intercept and arrest him. Instead of stopping, he jumped off the vehicle and opened fire on the police personnel. In the ensuing crossfire, he was shot," Rai said.

The incident took place in the Lanka Maidan area under Ramnagar police station limits, police said.

During the exchange of fire, bullets fired by Ganjhu hit the bulletproof jackets of UP ATS Deputy SP Vipin Rai and Head Constable Nitendra Krishna. Both officers remained safe, police added.

The official said Ganjhu was immediately rushed to a hospital after sustaining injuries, where doctors declared him dead.

"The UP team had been searching for this Naxalite -- a member of a banned organisation -- for quite some time. Upon receiving information from an informant about his arrival during the night, the STF laid a trap and attempted to apprehend Brijesh Ganju. However, he tried to flee and opened fire on the police team. He was wounded in the ensuing retaliatory action and was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead," Vipin Rai said.

He added that senior officials were reaching the spot.

Police said Ganjhu was the commander of the banned Jharkhand Naxal organisation TPC, which is considered a splinter group of the Maoist movement.

The UP ATS team had been tracking his movements and launched the operation after receiving information about his presence in Varanasi. Further legal formalities are underway.

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