nine-naxalites-lay-down-arms-in-chhattisgarh

Nine Naxalites, carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹47 lakh, surrendered before police in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district on Friday, marking another significant setback for Left Wing Extremism in the state, officials said.

 

The surrendered cadres, including seven women, belonged to the Nagri and Sitanadi area committees and the Mainpur Local Guerrilla Squad (LGS) under the Dhamtari–Gariaband–Nuapada division of the Maoists’ Odisha committee, Inspector General of Police (Raipur Range) Amresh Mishra said.

 

The ultras laid down arms before senior police officials, citing disillusionment with Maoist ideology, hardships of life in forest areas and growing faith in the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, he said.

 

Among those who surrendered were Jyoti alias Jaini (28), secretary of the Sitanadi area committee, and Usha alias Balamma (45), a divisional committee member, both carrying rewards of ₹8 lakh each. Six others, Ramdas Markam (30), Roni alias Uma (25), Niranjan alias Podia (25), Sindhu alias Somadi (25), Reena alias Chiro (25) and Amila alias Sanni (25), carried bounties of ₹5 lakh each, while Lakshmi Punem (18) had a reward of ₹1 lakh.

 

Balamma is a native of Telangana, while the remaining cadres are from different districts of Chhattisgarh, Mishra said.

 

Five of the surrendered Naxalites handed over weapons, including two INSAS rifles, two single loading rifles (SLRs), a carbine and a muzzle-loading gun.

 

“With this surrender, all listed Maoist cadres, from lower to top ranks, operating in Dhamtari and Gariaband districts under the Raipur police range, as well as adjoining Nuapada district of Odisha, have either been neutralised, surrendered or are no longer active,” Mishra said.

 

He added that sustained efforts are underway to persuade remaining Maoist elements to abandon violence and join the mainstream.

 

With the latest surrender, 189 Naxalites have laid down arms in Chhattisgarh so far this year. More than 1,500 Maoists surrendered in the state in 2025. The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 to eliminate Naxalism from the country.