In a devastating setback to the banned CPI(Maoist), twelve armed cadres, including a Central Committee Member carrying a ₹1 crore bounty, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district in the early hours of Monday. The group was led by Ramdher Majji, a top commander of the Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone who has been one of the most wanted Maoist figures operating across three states. His surrender, along with four Divisional Committee Members and several other militants, is being described by officials as the most significant strike against the MMC zone in recent years.

The surrendered cadres deposited a substantial cache of weapons, including one AK-47 rifle, one INSAS assault rifle, one self-loading rifle, one .303 rifle, and additional arms and ammunition. Six of the twelve who laid down arms are women, reflecting growing disillusionment among female recruits within the Maoist ranks. Police sources stated that the state government’s enhanced surrender and rehabilitation policy, offering financial assistance, vocational training, and security guarantees, played a decisive role in motivating the group to abandon the path of violence.

Security officials have hailed the development as evidence of collapsing morale within the CPI(Maoist) leadership, particularly in the strategic tri-junction region. Ramdher Majji’s decision to surrender is expected to deliver a severe intelligence and operational blow to the outlawed organisation, as his deep knowledge of hideouts, supply lines, and command structures across state borders will now assist counter-insurgency forces. The surrender also disrupts succession planning within the MMC zone, which has already suffered multiple leadership losses in recent encounters.

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Since the Bharatiya Janata Party government assumed power in Chhattisgarh in December 2023, aggressive anti-Maoist operations combined with an attractive rehabilitation package have resulted in approximately 2,300 cadres renouncing violence and returning to the mainstream. Authorities attribute this surge to improved ground dominance by security forces, development outreach in remote tribal areas, and the realisation among lower-rung militants that the Maoist ideology offers no viable future.

Formal legal procedures, including verification of identities and registration of surrendered weapons, are now underway to facilitate the complete rehabilitation of the twelve individuals. The state government has assured full protection and support under its surrender policy, marking another milestone in Chhattisgarh’s determined campaign to eradicate left-wing extremism and restore peace in the affected regions.

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