In a significant setback to the Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, nine Naxalites, including six women, surrendered before the authorities in Sukma district on Wednesday.
The surrendered rebels collectively carried a bounty of Rs 26 lakh, according to Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan.
The insurgents laid down arms before senior officials of the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), citing disillusionment with the "hollow and inhuman" ideology of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and growing internal rifts within the outlawed group, Chavan stated.
"Naxalites are on the backfoot with increasing pressure from security forces and the establishment of police camps in interior areas," he remarked.
He further noted that the state government’s ‘Niyad Nellanar (Your Good Village)’ initiative, aimed at fostering development in remote regions, had influenced their decision to abandon the armed movement.
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Among those who surrendered, Bandu alias Bandi Madkam (22), a member of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Company No. 2, carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on his head.
Two ‘area committee members’ – Mase alias Vetti Kanni (45) and Padam Sammi (32) – had rewards of Rs 5 lakh each. Additionally, a woman and three male cadres carried bounties of Rs 2 lakh each.
Bandu was reportedly involved in several attacks, including the 2020 Minpa ambush in Sukma, which claimed the lives of 17 security personnel. The other surrendered cadres were also accused of multiple strikes against security forces.
The successful surrender was attributed to coordinated efforts by personnel from the Chintalnar police station, District Reserve Guard, Intelligence Branch, CRPF, and its elite CoBRA unit.
The state authorities provided each surrendered Naxalite with an assistance amount of Rs 25,000, in line with the government’s rehabilitation policy for former insurgents.
According to official figures, 792 Naxalites surrendered in Bastar, comprising seven districts including Sukma, in 2024 alone.
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