Com. Prashant Bose (Kishenda), the seniormost leader of the CPI (Maoist), and a political prisoner, died in prison today. His partner, Com. Sheela Marandi remains in prison.
Ranchi District, April 3, 2026: Communist Party of India (Maoist) Politburo member and political prisoner Prashant Bose, alias Kishan Da, died Friday, after a prolonged illness, at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi District, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rakesh Ranjan announced to the press today.
Prashant Bose was imprisoned at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi District for the past four years, along with his wife Sheela Marandi and other aides, having been arrested by the Jharkhand Police in November 2021. Bose was a member of the Politburo, Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Maoist Party at the time of his arrest, according to the SSP.
“He was admitted to the RIMS for age-related illness and died earlier today,” the SSP was quoted as saying to the press, adding that Prashant Bose’s exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
A West Bengal native, Bose was one of the founding members of the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) in the 1970s. In 2004, the MCCI merged with the CPI (ML) People’s War Group, which was active in Andhra Pradesh, among other southern states, to form the CPI (Maoist). At the time of his arrest in November 2021, Bose was secretary of the Maoist Party’s Central Regional Bureau, which includes states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha, the SSP stated in his report.
Prashant Bose’s successor Misir Besra, who is believed to be leading the Maoist Party’s Eastern Regional Bureau, continues to elude the police and security forces, the SSP told the press.
Prashant Bose, along with his wife and aides, namely Birendra Hansda and Raju Tudu of Giridih District, and Krishna Bahada and Gurucharan Bodra of West Singhbhum District, were arrested by the Seraikela Kharsawan District Police on November 12, 2021, based on intelligence inputs about the movement of leading Maoist cadres from Giridih District towards the Saranda forests in West Singhbhum District, the SSP declared in his remarks to the press, adding that shortly after their arrest, they were transferred to the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi District, and the others continue to be lodged there since.
Prashant Bose was considered a key ideologue and strategist within the CPI (Maoist), with influence over operations across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and parts of Odisha. He played a significant role in expanding the Maoist Party’s network and maintaining its leadership structure over the years, the SSP stated to the press, adding that Bose had been underground for decades and was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the country.
Following his arrest, Prashant Bose was charged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2023, having been alleged by police to be the mastermind of more than 100 incidents of attack and arson in several states, including Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, the SSP said in conclusion.
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