Maharashtra has 64 Maoist fronts, state tells Bombay HC

Maharashtra has the highest number of Maoist frontal organisations in the country at 64, the state government said in an affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, 6 October. The affidavit, submitted by Deputy Secretary Pritamkumar Jawale of the Home Department, defends the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025. It seeks dismissal of petitions by the Congress, the Communist Party of India and the AITUC challenging the law as overly broad and a curb on dissent.

The state argued that Maharashtra's large urban population has made it a centre of Maoist urban networks, and that neighbouring states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand already have similar laws. The affidavit said central guidelines require such legislation for the state to be eligible for Security Related Expenditure funds used to counter Maoist operations. A joint committee reviewed over 15,000 written objections before the Act was amended and passed, the state said, rejecting claims that there was no public consultation.

The Act, which received Presidential assent in December 2025, makes it an offence to be a member of an unlawful organisation, collect funds for one, or carry out an unlawful activity. The state asserted the law balances fundamental liberties with public order. A bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi allowed the petitioners to file a rejoinder and posted the matter for hearing on 16 October.