50 Maoists Including Top Cadres Surrender in Chhattisgarh; Govt Attributes It to Rehab Efforts

In a decisive setback to Maoist insurgency, 50 cadres, including several high-ranking members, surrendered before security forces in Bijapur on Sunday.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Among them were 13 insurgents carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹68 lakh, marking one of the most significant mass surrenders in recent years.

The development underscores the combined impact of sustained counter-insurgency operations and Chhattisgarh's rehabilitation initiatives aimed at dismantling the Maoist network.

The surrender, facilitated under the state's Niyad Nellanar policy, signals a growing disenchantment within Maoist ranks as the security forces continued to assert dominance in insurgent strongholds. Officials say the move also reflects the increasing reach of governance and development programmes in previously Maoist-controlled regions, prompting cadres to abandon the path of violence.

Among those who laid down arms were senior members of the banned CPI (Maoist), including Ravindra Karam, a member of PLGA Battalion No. 1 with a bounty of ₹8 lakh, and Bhima Oyam, an Area Committee Member (ACM) of the National Park Area Committee, who had a ₹5 lakh bounty on his head and had been active for over 25 years.

Another prominent Maoist to surrender was Aaytu Potam, a Janatana Sarkar president with a ₹1 lakh bounty who had been associated with the Maoist movement since 1996.