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52 Maoists surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district: Police
In Chhattisgarh, 52 Maoists surrendered, with bounties over ₹1.41 crore, under a rehabilitation initiative, following previous surrenders in the region.
Raipur: At least 52 Maoists, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of over ₹1.41 crore, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, police said.
Police officers said that the surrendered cadres were active in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), Andhra–Odisha Border division and the Bhamragarh area committee of Maharashtra.
They laid down arms before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers under the ‘Poona Margem’ initiative, which focuses on rehabilitation and social reintegration, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
According to the officers, the cadres were influenced by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Among those who surrendered are divisional committee member Lakkhu Karam alias Anil (32); Platoon Party Committee members Laxmi Madvi (28) and Chinni Sodhi alias Shanti (28) carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh each. Thirteen other cadres carried a bounty of ₹5 lakh each, 19 had rewards of ₹2 lakh each, and 14 carried rewards of ₹1 lakh each.
All surrendered cadres will be given immediate assistance of ₹50,000 each and rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, the SP said.
The surrender comes a day after 29 Maoists laid down arms in neighbouring Sukma district. Earlier, 63 Maoists surrendered in Dantewada on January 8, while 26 cadres gave up violence in Sukma on January 7.
Officers said more than 1,500 Maoists surrendered across Chhattisgarh in 2025.
The Centre has set a target to eliminate Left Wing Extremism from the country by March 31 this year.
