Prashant Bose, a high-ranking Maoist leader, commonly referred to as Kishan Da, passed away on Friday as he was receiving treatment in the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, officials confirmed. He had spent the last four years in Birsa Munda Central Jail since his arrest in 2021.
As police report, Bose was taken to RIMS on Friday morning, when his health condition worsened, and was transferred. But he died in the process of treatment. Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Ranjan, said that the actual cause of death is still to be ascertained and additional medical examination is expected.
Bose, who was said to be over 80 years old, was among the most renowned leaders who were linked to the Maoist movement in India. He also used various names, such as Manish and Buddha, and had a price of 1 crore rupees on his head when he was arrested. In November 2021, he was arrested together with his wife, Sheela Marandi of the Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand.
In the course of the years, Bose had been alleged to have orchestrated over 100 acts of violence including attacks and arson in various states like Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
His death brings to an end a long and controversial period of the internal security scenario in India as the government makes an effort to contain Maoist activities in the affected areas.