Major Breakthrough: Four Maoists with Rs 19 Lakh Bounty Surrender in Chhattisgarh

In a significant blow to Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), four Maoists with a combined bounty of Rs 19 lakh surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Sunday, marking a pivotal moment in the state’s anti-Maoist campaign. The cadres, active for over a decade in the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada Division, laid down their arms, citing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and internal exploitation.

The surrendered insurgents, identified as Deepak alias Bhima Mandavi (Rs 8 lakh bounty), Kailash alias Bhima Bhogam (Rs 5 lakh), Ranita alias Paiki (Rs 5 lakh), and Sujita alias Uren Karam (Rs 1 lakh), were felicitated by the Gariaband Police in a ceremony underscoring the state’s rehabilitation efforts. Inspector General Raipur Range Amresh Mishra hailed the surrender as “an unprecedented success for Gariaband Police and the state,” noting the cadres’ desire to abandon violence and reintegrate into mainstream society. “They told us the youth in Naxal organizations are held captive and want to leave this path,” Mishra said.

Acting on intelligence from the surrendered Maoists, security forces recovered Rs 16 lakh in cash, 31 live cartridges, two empty magazines, detonators, eight BGL rounds, 12-bore ammunition, and Maoist literature from forested hideouts. The haul, believed to fund insurgent operations, underscores the financial disruption hitting the Maoist network.

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Deepak, a divisional committee member since April 2025, joined the Maoists at 14 in 2008, initially with the cultural wing Chetna Natya Mandli in Sukma. Kailash, also from Sukma, served in the protection team for senior commander Modem Balakrishnan Manoj, while Ranita, recruited at 16 in 2016, participated in ambushes across Gariaband and Odisha’s Kalahandi. Sujita, a recent recruit, handled sentry duties. Three of the four joined as minors, highlighting the Maoists’ exploitation of youth.

The cadres cited partiality by senior Andhra Pradesh leaders, forced recruitment, and harassment of tribal villagers as reasons for their surrender. Under Chhattisgarh’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy, they will receive financial aid, housing, healthcare, and livelihood support to reintegrate.

This surrender follows a string of setbacks for Maoists, including the January 2025 killing of 16 cadres, including Central Committee member Jairam alias Chalpathi, near the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. On August 13, security forces neutralized two senior Maoists with a Rs 1.16 crore bounty in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, further weakening the Dandkaranya and Rajnandgaon-Kanker operations. However, the same day, an IED blast in Bijapur’s National Park area killed one DRG jawan and injured two, signaling ongoing risks to security forces.

Raipur Range IG Amresh Mishra and IG Naxal Operations Ankit Garg noted a deepening crisis within the Maoist ranks, with leadership losses and financial strain driving defections. The surrenders offer hope to communities caught in the crossfire, signaling the effectiveness of Chhattisgarh’s dual strategy of sustained operations and rehabilitation.

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